Home grown produce more in demand in local markets
Kuwait: “Buyers and distributors prefer locally home-grown products to imported ones because of the products’ freshness and cheap prices. Locally produced items eliminate added costs such as transportation, levies, manpower and competition,” commented General Manager of Al-Barakah National Company.
Kuwait’s most prominent dealer, Marwan Jamal, who grew up within the premises of Chabra (Kuwait’s vegetable and fruit market) learning the trade and witnessing the growth and development of what was once a small market.
Jamal told Al Watan Daily that local buyers and distributors prefer to purchase Kuwait’s vegetables because of many essential factors. He explained that local farmers in the country do not demand high prices and that trading of these products are far more advantageous than those arriving regularly from other countries. Local produce is directly supplied from the farms to the market thus maintaining their freshness, which is a very important among buyers. Jamal also said that Kuwait is sufficient in the production and supply of leafy vegetables. Moreover, the lifespan of such items are short and importing them will cause a loss should there be any delay in delivery.
“Kuwait has a year round supply of cucumber and other local leafy vegetables grown in local farms and that supply is adequate among consumers. Kuwait also exports many of its vegetables to areas within the Gulf region particularly to Iraq and Saudi Arabia, where travel distances are short. Kuwait has the potential to be self-sustained in producing all kinds of vegetables and to halt dependence on imported items, which are often expensive and unaffordable to ordinary workers, in addition to the additives and preservatives that could cause harm to health,” commented Jamal.
Unfortunately Kuwait has very limited land for farming and most farms are not government owned but private properties, moreover the weather conditions of the country are not entirely favorable. Kuwait’s Wafra produces its vegetables via two methods namely; Hyrdophonics and greenhouses.
Hydrophonics applies to the cultivation of plants in nutrient solutions without using soil. It began in the 1930′s as an offshoot of the techniques used by plant physiologists during plant nutrition experiments.
More recent methods of hydroponics differ in particulars, but have two common features: (1) nutrients are supplied through liquid solutions; and (2) plants are supported by porous materials, such as peat, sand, or gravel that act as a wick to relay nutrient solution to the roots. Hydroponics uses several culture techniques. A Greenhouse is a structure with a glass or plastic roof and frequently glass or plastic walls; it heats up because incoming solar radiation from the sun warms plants, soil, and other things inside the building. Air warmed by the heat from hot interior surfaces is retained in the building by the roof and wall. These structures range in size from small sheds to very large buildings. The cost of such methods does not demand higher maintenance.
Kuwait’s free trade and non imposition of taxes among traders, open doors to the country for acquiring imported produce from different countries that daily ends with the Chabra. Trader and producer Hussein Mustafah told Al Watan Daily that the market has four spacious and covered areas, which receive, store and vend fresh produce daily. These covered warehouses are under the control and management of local government and custom, they receive fresh produce from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Syria,
Turkey, and Egypt and from international suppliers marketed and distributed through Dubai’s streamline trade center.
“Every supplier here knows precisely where to unload their products. Each of these warehouses contains products from different countries worldwide and products are meticulously segregated based from their origin. A warehouse can contain products from South Africa, US, China and South American countries, the other warehouse with products from the Gulf region and the rest with those from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait,” added Mustafah.
Each supplier needs to arrange their products on allocated areas two hours after the unloading time and vacate the parking areas. The gates are closed for the Kuwait’s custom to check the products. The areas are rented on a daily basis for a minimal fee and no taxes or excises are imposed by the local government. After the inspection, dealers commence their purchases based from what are required of their clients.
“Local buyers often flood the warehouses of Kuwait as they are often on lookout for bidding made by local producers that sell items on wholesale. A box of cucumber can cost between 75 Kuwaiti fils to 150 fils based on the quality of the products,” concluded Mustafah.
Ricky Laxa – Al Watan
