QATIF: Saudi government officials have urged citizens in the Eastern Province not to stockpile fresh produce during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak. With more than 2,000 farms in Qatif alone supplying the governorate’s local markets with fruit and vegetables, products remained readily available, residents have been assured. Director general of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture in the region, Amer bin Ali Al-Mutairi, said the ministry was working with producers to maintain the quality and quantities of supplies while helping to overcome any difficulties being faced by farmers. He pointed out that measures had been put in place, in cooperation with other government bodies, to ensure the smooth delivery of fruit and vegetables to shops and markets. Al-Mutairi said that products were in abundance and there was no need for people to bulk buy, adding that ministry teams in the Eastern Province were monitoring markets on a daily basis to ensure the availability of food items and other goods and that prices remained consistent. Farms in the region grow a variety of crops, fruits, vegetables and dates, with more than 250,000 palm trees producing at least 8,000 tons of dates per year.