Agricultural Made in Italy lands in Qatar. The country on the Arabian peninsula, whose territory is largely desert due to the drought of the climate which does not allow crops, looks to Italy to satisfy its internal needs. And thanks to a collaboration agreement between Lulu Group, an important distribution chain that operates in 31 countries between Asia, the United States, Europe and the Middle East, and Coldiretti will be able to count on the Italian agricultural supply chain to import Mediterranean diet products including extra virgin olive oil olives, rice, cheeses, sauces, gravies and tomatoes, honey, fruit and vegetables, balsamic vinegar, apple vinegar and fish. Italian agricultural products will be exported to Qatar with the “Signed by Italian Farmers” logo.
The project envisages the creation of corners and exclusive promotional activities within the group's points of sale for the promotion and enhancement of the true 100% Italian product signed by farmers. During the meeting, the operational aspects for the selection of products and the logistical aspects were finalized to allow Italian farmers to access international markets through the shelves of the group's supermarkets.
In Qatar, Italian agri-food exports have more than quadrupled in the last ten years, exceeding 39 million euros in 2017. With an annual turnover of 7,4 billion dollars, 48.450 employees, headquartered in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the Emirates United Arab, "Lulu group" manages a portfolio of international businesses ranging from shopping malls, hypermarkets, supermarkets and department stores, from production to food processing.
The Rome summit is the operational conclusion of an Italian mission last July to Qatar led by the President of Coldiretti Roberto Moncalvo and the national president of the Italian Agricultural Chain Ettore Prandini who met the Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohamed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, the Minister of environment and municipality Mohamed bin Abdullah al-Rumaihi, Mohamed bin Ahmed al-Obaidly, board member of the Qatar Chamber, Mohamed Badr Hashem Al Sada CEO of Hassad Food E Abdulaziz Nasser Al Yafei director of the Port of Hamad with the support of embassy of Italy in Qatar, with the ambassador Pasquale Salzano, and of the local office of the Italian trade agency (ICE).
In recent years, Qatar has focused on the development and use of new technologies for the exploitation of land stolen from the desert. Major works have been started to allow the irrigation of the fields through the desalination of the water carried out through systems that exploit the energy of the sun. Specifically, the Catarina authorities have carried out a project for the creation of farms and vertical agricultural fields to intensively exploit that part of the territory not yet reclaimed from agriculture by desertification. At the moment the production concerns cereals, especially wheat, dates but also vegetables. While sheep, cattle and poultry farms have been increased.
