As a Qatari national, I have always been interested in problems affecting agriculture, water scarcity, loss of land and decreased varieties.
When the weather is fine, I enjoy walking in the beautiful Maltese countryside. Sadly, I notice the impact abandoned farmland has on the environment.
It seems to be a land management problem, with its associated ecological threat to biodiversity.
Let’s join hands and make our voices heard so farmland can be restored, flourish again and provide fresh produce free of pesticides. Construction is destroying agricultural areas, which is a big mistake.
May the fortunes of the struggling farmers turn and this land would again become a beautiful green garden and a joy to the eye. Malta could enjoy both the fresh winds from the sea and the perfumes from the land.
Agriculture in my country remained limited in scope because of lack of arable land and the harsh climate. Before the discovery of oil, small-scale farming together with nomadic herding and fishing were the major means of subsistence. Sea-based activities, like pearling and fishing, served as the primary sources of income.
Despite the semi-desert nature of Qatar, the government has attempted to encourage agriculture and fishing to provide a degree of self-sufficiency in food. The cultivation of organic vegetables has particularly developed over the past years.
Food insecurity has long preoccupied the people of Qatar, which buys 80 per cent of its needs from neighbouring countries. Qatar is a semi-desert land but rents lands in other countries for agriculture and ranching, saving us during the unjust siege by Saudi Arabia, which has closed its land border, while other four countries, like the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Yamen and Egypt, have cut air and sea links with our country.
Despite Qatar’s fierce temperatures and vast gas revenues, which mean that food and fresh produce are imported, the wise leadership of Qatar is taking up the challenge of making serious attempts to improve agricultural output and food security for our people.