‘Qatar Gene Bank stores five million seeds of food crops’

Doha, Qatar: The State of Qatar has made significant progress in establishing a comprehensive Gene Bank, which houses 5 million seeds from various foo...

Doha, Qatar: The State of Qatar has made significant progress in establishing a comprehensive Gene Bank, which houses 5 million seeds from various food crops, including tomatoes, beans, and sweet corn, to enhance the nation's food security system, according to a senior official.

Hamad Saket Al Shammari, Director of the Agricultural Research Department, stated that the seeds of plant species intended for food and agriculture are stored in the Qatar Gene Bank at a temperature of minus 80 degrees Celsius, ensuring their viability over an extended period.

In a recent interview with Qatar TV, he noted that the Qatar Gene Bank currently holds 1,038 seed accessions, with a substantial proportion representing plant genetic resources for food and agriculture, including numerous agricultural crops such as tomatoes. "Over the past five years, we have developed a new variety of tomatoes that have been preserved in the bank. The skin of these tomatoes is well-suited to the local environment and conditions in Qatar. Our objective is to prolong the agricultural production period for these targeted crops," Al Shammari further explained.

According to him, Qatar has intensified its initiatives to preserve food crop seeds since 2021, in alignment with the objectives of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD).

 The FAO aims to ensure food security for all individuals, guaranteeing consistent access to sufficient, high-quality food that supports active and healthy lifestyles.