Kitchen gardens have been very popular across the world for centuries and the people through healthy pastime of home farming grow organic vegetables to meet their daily needs to some extent.
In recent years, people — both citizens and expatriates — in Qatar have developed a strong proclivity towards home farming which is a healthy leisure activity for them as well as produces a good yield of vegetables.
It not only gives a home beautiful and distinctive look, the home farming also provides a good return from vegetables. Many people have become keen to utilise the areas in and around their houses for agriculture purpose.
Also, several voluntary Qatari initiatives were started after with an aim to spread home farming culture.
A number of entities organise workshops and train students in this field informing them of the importance of home farming with a view to self-reliance and consolidating the idea of agriculture in public and raising the importance of this culture in society.
The workshops aim to spread the culture of agriculture in all age groups so that everyone in society becomes productive and not only a consumer to reach the stage of self-sufficiency for all our needs in society.
The first sight of the green leaves swaying in the wind right next to heavy equipment and temporary shelters makes you wonder about the efforts going behind this lovely-looking small farm.
The hard work behind one of such green oasis is a Filipino farmer, Dodie Manuel Gonzales, whose passion for farming doesn’t stop to amaze his friends and passers-by.
“I started this initiative in 2017. The idea came to me when our office moved to a new building where there was a large area. I considered it necessary to take advantage of this opportunity in agriculture, especially as I had experience in this field and I also have an unlimited passion for agriculture,” he said.
“I started with small seeds in my room and asked my friends to bring more from the Philippines. At that time, I had no idea that I could find seeds from many places in Qatar,” Gonzales told The Peninsula.
Regrding what type of vegetable he was planting, he said that when he started in November 2017, he started planting only vegetables because they were not taking much time compared to fruits. He used to plant tomatoes, ginger, radish, pumpkin, watermelon, potato and many more.
Whatever Gonzales grows, he distributes the yield for free among his office friends or whoever cares to ask. Many people send him messages over his Facebook page and he makes it a point to distribute his harvest to all.
“Even back home in the Philippines, we have vegetables in my homes’ back and front yards. All my neighbours are free to pick the harvest,” he said.
“I use the best soil available and also make compost from food waste. There is a huge possibility to make compost from food waste in Qatar,” he added.
The farming enthusiast lived in a province in the Philippines which is very famous for agriculture and his family also owns an agriculture farm. “I loved in my childhood my grandmother who taught me how to plant specially vegetables.”
He said that he was ready to train people farming, because anyone who has space at home can do it. “Home planting does not take too much money; if you have QR50 you can enjoy farming on a small space,” he said.
Indian expatriate, Sarah, also grows flowers and vegetables at her home. “I started planting at home almost two years ago. I thought it was appropriate to use the empty space at the house even though it is not a big patch of land but it can be used for growing of some vegetables.”
She says that the most beautiful time is that which she spends in caring the plants. “It is just like children who need care and commitment.”
On question about how much yield she gets from her kitchen garden, she said it is around one to two kg per day but I also care about planting trees that make the house beautiful.”
“I advise all mothers to do this experiment as it gives the house a good look; it also provides them with some fresh vegetables and does not demand a lot of effort. Assume that every home has a kitchen garden, the return will be great and can ensure self-sufficiency of locally produced food,” said the 40-year-old while watering her small farm in her house.
In 2018, as part of its efforts to spread the culture of agriculture among Qatari farmers and enhance food security in the region through fisheries, livestock and other agricultural sectors, Qatar Development Bank (QDB) participated in the 6th Qatar International Agricultural Exhibition, AgriteQ 2018.
During the event, QDB launched its new “Greenhouse Program”, which aims at financing the construction of greenhouses in different areas suitable for Qatari houses to ensure self-sufficiency of locally produced food and reduce dependence on imports as well as providing all planting and technical support with a maximum funding amount of QR70,000, in addition to providing a one-day workshop that will offer farmers adequate knowledge in agriculture and a better understanding on agricultural track systems that will play an important role in facilitating the follow up procedure on agricultural production.