Hassad, Qatar’s premier investor in food sector, has announced an expansion in the company’s investment portfolio over the past three years.
This expansion, included funding the development of central markets, is to create integrated marketing platforms, as well as establishing a number of local companies, in addition to acquiring shares in major international food businesses to support the needs of the local market and to contribute in achieving food security for the State of Qatar.
Eng. Mohamed Al Sadah (pictured), Hassad CEO, said in a statement, “On the first day of the blockade, Hassad was tasked with supplying the local market with the needed strategic products in a tight timeframe.”
“We immediately started coordinating with more than 10 countries, and the first shipment arrived to the local market on June 6 and following that day, Hassad supplied the local market with shipments via airfreight daily, and through sea, land-sea routes. During peak days Hassad supplied the local market with more than 1,000 tonnes of fresh vegetables and dairy products on a daily basis”.
In 2018, Hassad established Mahaseel for Marketing and Agricultural Services Company to support the local farmers by marketing their produce, with the aim to increase the quantity and enhance the quality of local produce, as well as ease the burden of the marketing process.
Eng. Mohamed Al Sadah, said, “Mahaseel marketed 15 million kilogrammes of vegetables during the current agricultural season. We founded ‘Mahaseel’ after studying the market needs, and identifying the suitable mechanism to support the private agricultural sector, in order to contribute in achieving self-sufficiency”.
Hassad also funded the development of the three new central markets in A’Sailiya, Al Wakrah & Um Salal, as well as established ‘Aswaq for Food Facilities Management’ to manage the markets, in order to satisfy the needs of the producer, trader and consumer. “We funded the development of the three central markets with QR400m, and we invested QR100m in the development of the new automated slaughterhouse in Al Wakrah central market”. Eng. Al Sadah commented.
Hassad invested around QR100m in the local fodder sector over the past years, through Alaaf Qatar - a subsidiary of Hassad.
As for the Poultry sector, Hassad developed and expanded the operations of the “Arab Qatari Company for Poultry Production - Al Waha”, which the company owns 46 percent in it and supervises on its operations.
Concerning the Dates sector, Hassad owns the largest dates facility in Qatar, which produces around 3500 tonnes/year.
