Proposal for a Vegetable and Fruit Marketing Board

With reference to the interview published in *Al-Qabas* on Wednesday, September 14, 1943, with Fahad Al-Hassawi, Chairman of the Public Authority for Agriculture and Fisheries, in which he stated that the Authority had recently noted the existence of an agricultural marketing problem and that a specialized agricultural marketing authority must be established to resolve the issue. We note that this problem has existed since the inception of agriculture in Kuwait and that it is time for a realistic assessment to study the past and plan for the future in order to achieve the objectives of agricultural marketing, which aims to serve the public interest. I propose that the Kuwait Municipality, as the entity directly responsible for the vegetable market, establish a Vegetable and Fruit Marketing Council—an independent body reporting to the Council of Ministers and comprising the Kuwait Municipality, the Agriculture Authority, the Farmers’ Union, the Union of Agricultural Associations, and the Union of Consumer Associations. This council would be responsible for studying the development of the wholesale market based on an open exchange for all local and imported fruits and vegetables. As for the fundamental elements of agriculture in Kuwait, we would like to focus on the following points, hoping they will receive attention rather than being buried in files, as is unfortunately the custom: Establishing an Agricultural Marketing Authority, whose goal is to improve local production to achieve high-quality output that competes with imported produce. - Focus on proper agricultural extension. - Encourage agricultural engineers to work on farms; we see no justification for not allocating a model plot of land to each engineer so they can implement their ideas there. - Encourage the establishment of private nurseries that produce vegetable, tree, and flower seedlings. - Agriculture requires modern services, and facilities must be established in agricultural areas, companies, and agricultural institutions to provide services to both professional and amateur farmers. - The Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs must define its objectives within a five-year plan to reassure farmers and investors about the future of agriculture in Kuwait.