Sale of subsidised sheep for Eid Al Adha starts on Sunday

On the occasion of Eid Al Adha 1440H and within the framework of the joint national initiative to promote local production and subsidise the prices of sheep meat, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, in cooperation with the Ministry of Municipality and Environment and Widam Food Company, has announced the subsidised sheep prices initiative, which aims to encourage domestic production and to maintain the balance of supply and demand, thereby limiting price increases.

An agreement was reached with Widam Food Company to ensure a supply of 9,000 sheep of Arab origin (local and Syrian) according to the following weights and prices: Local sheep weighing 35kg and over to be sold at QR1,000 while Syrian sheep weighing 40kg and over to be sold at QR950.

The sheep will be sold through Widam Food Company at a number of locations, such as the central market and other Widam slaughterhouses in Al Shamal, Al Khor, Al Mazrouah, Umm Salal, Al Shahaniya and Al Wakra. Home delivery services will also be available.

According to the terms of the initiative, sheep will be sold to each Qatari citizen who shall present a valid ID card.

The buyer should be at least 20 years old (born in 1999 or later) and shall have the right to purchase only one sheep. This will ensure the availability of sheep for the targeted segment.

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry, in coordination with Widam Food Company, is prohibiting the sale of underweight sheep.

Sheep that do not conform to specifications and slaughter conditions, or have incompatible weights and sizes as agreed upon with the Ministry will not be sold. The Ministry is also ensuring the availability of suitable barns.

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry stressed that it will intensify its inspection campaigns from the first day of sale, corresponding to August 4 until August 13, to ensure compliance with the subsidized prices and the implementation of safety procedures.

Last February, the Ministries of Commerce and Industry, and Municipality and Environment launched the joint national initiative to promote local production and subsidise sheep meat prices.

The initiative aims at encouraging local farmers to upgrade their equipment, improve their capabilities, and create a strategic stock of local sheep that guarantees food security and meets demand.

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has launched the subsidized sheep initiatives during the holy month of Ramadan and Eid al-Adha every year. The initiatives have encouraged farmers to increase their stock and production of local sheep which contributed to an increase in the sales of local sheep during the holy month of Ramadan and Eid Al Adha.

According to statistics, under the initiative during the holy month of Ramadan for the last three years, local sheep increased from 293 in 2017 to 2819 in 2018 and 6421 in 2019, which translates into an increase in the proportion of domestic production from 1% in 2017 to 23% during Ramadan of 2019.

In addition, the contribution of local sheep during Eid al-Adha initiative in 2018 stood at 1080 sheep, representing 12% of the total number of sheep amounting to 9119.

Meanwhile, Widam Food Company began receiving male sheep from animal husbandry to provide subsidized slaughterhouses for citizens in the framework of government to support breeders.

The Ministry of Municipality and Environment said that this is the second phase of this initiative, which began last Ramadan and succeeded in attracting 145 farmers who benefited from the initiative as a sales outlet to market their products.  During the holy month in 2019, 6508 heads of sheep were imported, representing 231 percent of the contribution of local production of sheep for the consumption of Ramadan compared to 2018.