Doha: The 6th Fresh Local Dates Festival 2021 is not only a place to trade in dates, but it is also an educational opportunity for families. Many parents have taken advantage of the Festival to educate their children about the various varieties of dates and their nutritional value.
The festival sees hundreds of families visiting the stands daily. More visitors are expected in coming days as the festival ends on Friday.
Rutab (fresh local dates) have attracted more visitors, as it is characterised by a distinct production method that contributes to its freshness and high quality.
More than 100 tonnes of fresh dates have been sold at the festival since its opening. The participating farms were keen to provide the necessary quantities to meet the needs of the public. The Festival offers many fresh dates at affordable prices, starting from QR7 and QR8 per kg.
“The Festival has generated great sales for the different types of rutab products offered by Qatari farms. As of last Monday, 95 tonnes of different local kinds of rutab have been sold,” the Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME) said in a tweet,
Over 80 farms are participating in this year’s event, held daily from 4pm to 10pm. The daily sales of one farm are about 100 kg, while the daily average sales of all the participating farms range from about 9 to 10 tonnes. As for the most sales of fresh dates, Khalas has recorded the most sales, followed by Al Shishi, Khunaizi, and Barhi.
Qatar imports approximately 10,000 tonnes of dates annually.
“Many families are keen to take their children to the festival to educate them about the types of fresh dates and their nutritional value. There is a good turnout, whether from citizens or residents. This indicates the importance of dates to everyone,” said an exhibitor from Qatarat farm.
“The festival allows all ages to attend, allowing visitors, especially families from different nationalities, to bring their children and to educate them about the types of dates,” he added. Regarding sales, he said there have been good sales since the beginning of the Festival.
Meanwhile, Ghafer, who represents another farm, said he sold around 120kg dates daily. He said pavilions close to the main entrance record more sales compared to others.
The event is being organised by the MME, in collaboration with Souq Waqif Administration. The Ministry said that the dates production for this year would reach 27,000 tonnes, achieving a 76 percent rate of self–sufficiency. It also said that Qatar’s palm tree reserve is estimated at 650,000 to 700,000 trees spanning 2.2 hectares.
Link: https://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/article/28/07/2021/Dates-Festival-A-place-for-children-to-learn
Source: The Peninsula
