Qatar Dairy Products Market - Growth, Trends, Covid-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2023 - 2028)

Qatar Dairy Products Market - Growth, Trends, Covid-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2023 - 2028)

The Qatari dairy products market is projected to record a CAGR of 6.58% during the forecast period (2022-2027).

In the early stage of the COVID -19 outbreak, the panic buying of dairy products and other necessary products led to increased concerns about mass buying of long-life milk, pasta, rice, and tinned vegetables, which impacted the shortage of products in the nation. Dairy products were negatively impacted by a shortage of products due to high demand, resulting in a high price rise of products such as powdered and long-life milk, butter, and yogurt. However, in 2020, the government of Qatar took the initiative and signed an agreement with 14 major companies specializing in the consumer goods and food sectors to raise the country's strategic stock of food commodities, like wheat, rice, oil, powdered and long-life milk, sugar, and frozen meat. Noticing the earlier issue of a shortage of essential food products, the government aimed to maintain a continuous supply of essential food commodities to the local market for a year.

However, in 2020, the government of Qatar took the initiative and signed an agreement with 14 major companies specializing in the consumer goods and food sectors to raise the country's strategic stock of food commodities, like wheat, rice, oil, powdered and long-life milk, sugar, and frozen meat. The country's dairy industry moved toward self-sufficiency, and trade barriers did not have much impact on the market. In the long term, the Qatari dairy products market is primarily driven by the rising health consciousness among the consumers who actively seek protein-rich food products.

Moreover, factors such as increasing government-run health and wellness campaigns designed to combat obesity and related problems (diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and high cholesterol) encourage consumers to purchase healthier products, directly fueling the dairy market. Dairy-based products are naturally high in calcium content; hence, they are perceived as nutritional snacking options. The health benefits of probiotic drinks, especially their ability to improve digestion and the immune system, attract consumers across all age groups to the market.

The Qatari dairy industry is witnessing an increasing prevalence of strategic partnerships and alliances between dairy companies to alleviate the shortage of dairy products in the country. Among all the leading dairy companies in the market, Baladna Food Industries, specializing in processing and marketing fresh dairy products, is widely expanding its reach to local consumers by partnering with international players to support them in augmenting the production of dairy products. In 2019, the company signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Felcra Bhd, a Malaysian government-owned corporate organization under the Minister of Finance. Accordingly, Baladna Food Industries aimed to establish Malaysia’s largest dairy farm in Qatar within the next two years, in line with the country’s National Food Security Policy. Adding to this, under the collaboration, the two companies aim to produce 50 million liters of milk by 2021 while adding five locations in the northern and central region, and Sabah and Sarawak have been identified for the purpose.

The demand for higher-quality, better-tasting and healthier, wholesome cheese has become a concern among consumers. However, high-calorie content in them is one of the major restraints, thus, creating a huge space for manufacturers to innovate. Moreover, vegan cheese made using various nuts is vying the retail aisle of dairy cheese in the forecast period. However, the influence of foreign food, such as pizza, burgers, and sandwiches, is growing in the country. Thus, millennials are highly inclined toward consuming cheese in various forms, such as slices, spreads, and cubes. Apart from the new generation of consumers, children are also major consumers of processed cheese in Qatar which in turn acceelerating the demand for a different cheese. However, imports continue to increase as local production is insufficient to meet the domestic demand for cheese. For instance, in 2020, United States exported around USD 4.4 million (803 metric tons) worth of cheese to Qatar, as stated by the USA Cheese Guild.

The Qatari dairy products market is a fragmented market and comprises regional and international competitors. The market is dominated by players like Dandy Company Limited, Baladna, Ghadeer Dairy, Gulf Food Production, and Al Maha, among others. The leading players in the dairy products market in this country enjoy a dominant presence across the country. Brand loyalty is a high-impact factor, with the features being a prime parameter. Due to the increasing demand for dairy products in the country, companies operating in the international markets, especially GCC countries, plan to expand their presence there. Moreover, some of the players are expanding production in the country to capture the increasing demand.

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