20,000 shoppers visited the farmers market in 23 weeks

The Executive Director of Farmers' Market, Amani Bu-Drees, said that the Ministry of Municipalities, Urban Planning, Agriculture and Marine Resources has plan to change the once-a-week seasonal farmers' market into a permanent all-year-round market. He told Bahrain News Agency (BNA) that the air-conditioned market accommodates 60 Bahraini farmers who sold local farm produce in Budaiya Garden over the past two years will be the launch-pad of the new market in order to reduce farm products importation. The market was visited by 20,000 visitors in 23 weeks this year alone. She said that the success accomplished by the Farmers' Market was an anticipated result of the keenness and attention of the Ministry's Undersecretary for Agriculture and Marine Resources Shaikh Khalifa bin Isa Al Khalifa. The Bahraini farmers were encouraged to offer competitive prices so as to attract more shoppers in order for their produce to reach the largest chunk of citizens and residents. Bu-Drees said that the new market will be confined to selling local vegetables unlike the central market which combines both the local and the imported products. Retailers can sell their produce in Horat Aali and wholesalers can sell at the Central Market. The farmers said that the marketwas an opportunity to promote their products in order to make the Bahraini consumer aware that Bahraini farm products are not less in quality than the imported products and may even exceed them sometimes. They explained that the success of the farmers market was the result of the facilitations provided by the Ministry and the efficiency of Bahraini farmers and the quality of their produce and reasonable prices which attracted more shoppers