Al Wakra Yard, one of the five local produce yards in the country. Picture by: Salim Matramkot/The Peninsula Pen-IBM\PHOTOGRAPHERS\2021\SALIM MATRAMKOT\APRIL\15-APR-2021
To give a hassle-free shopping experience to customers, especially fasting people during holy month of Ramadan, the night seasonal vegetable markets (agricultural yards) opened yesterday.
The market witnessed a huge demand on the first day of its opening as customers turned up in large number to buy fresh local vegetables at lower rates.
The Agricultural Affairs Department at the Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME) has decided to change the timing of the markets from day to night for the convenience of customers during holy month of Ramadan. As per the decision, all five markets will open from 7pm to 11pm throughout the holy month of Ramadan.
The vegetable markets located in Al Sheehaniya, Al Mazrouha, Al Wakrah, Al Khor-Al Zakhira and Al Shamal are operating during weekend from Thursday to Saturday. Customers have welcomed the decision of the Ministry to open the markets at night during Ramadan.
“I appreciate the decision of Agricultural Affairs Department for running the markets at night during Ramadan enabling fasting people to visit the market at their comfort,” Abdul Aziz Ahmad, a visitor of Al Wakra Vegetable Market told The Peninsula.
Speaking about the importance of the seasonal markets for consumers, Ahmad said that markets offered farm fresh vegetables at lower prices this is why it attracted large number of customers – citizens and expatriates. “I am a regular customer of vegetable market.
I used to visit the market on Thursday to buy my stock of vegetables,” said Abu Ahmad, another visitor of Al Wakra Vegetable Market. He said that consumers preferred to buy vegetables from seasonal markets especially those with large families because it is fresh and cheaper.
The markets offered yesterday many produce including tomato, cucumber, zucchini, leafy vegetables, egg plants, pumpkins, cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce, mushroom and onions. The markets attracted pretty good number of customers on first day of night market.
“We received many customers on first day and expecting more in the coming days,” said Iqbal Ahmad, a representative of a farm participating in the market.
Speaking about the verities of the vegetables, Ahmad said that most of the vegetables which are produced in Qatari farms are available in the market.
To a question about the prices of the vegetables at the market, Ahmad said: “Markets offer vegetable at lower prices because there are no middlemen between farms and customers.”
For example, he said a box of cucumber of 5kg is available at QR14, and number one quality cucumber of 6kg at QR20. Ahmad said that tomatoes are also available at QR10, QR15 per box as per the size and quality of the product.
