1.34 AM Friday, 29 March 2024
  • City Fajr Shuruq Duhr Asr Magrib Isha
  • Dubai 04:56 06:10 12:26 15:53 18:37 19:52
29 March 2024

Agricultural plan for local crops supports goal of food security in Abu Dhabi

Pic: WAM

Published
By WAM

The annual agricultural production plan being executed by the Farmers’ Services Centre represents local efforts to achieve sustainability in the agricultural sector, support the goal of food security in Abu Dhabi, and provide reasonable income levels for farm owners, through a supply contract made with the centre.

The Farmers’ Services Centre desires, through the annual agricultural plan, to answer the needs of consumers of local crops and produce, which have become popular due to their low prices and high quality.

The Farmers’ Services Centre has made significant efforts to adopt an integrated agricultural plan, which began by announcing its timeframe to provide the consumer market with supplies of high quality local produce, based on the consumers’ needs.

The number of farms in Abu Dhabi total around 24,018 farms, and under the agricultural production plan for 2017 to 2018, the Farmers’ Services Centre aims to grow 21 crops, including 38 types of vegetables, while last year’s plan from 2016 to 2017 included 27 crops, with 60 types of vegetables. During 2015 to 2016, the plan included 31 crops, with 40 types of vegetables.

The plan will go into effect in the middle of August, while the 47-week harvesting season will begin at the start of October, with 15 weeks being considered the peak production period.

The Centre preceded the plan by conducting market research studies, where it identified the needs of consumers, thus designing the Agricultural Production Plan to meet those needs.

The plan is considered a practical step in organising the work of farms and continuing production for the longest possible period during the year. It also relies on researching each area of the emirate to specify suitable types of local crops.

The Abu Dhabi Farmers’ Services Centre aims to sign contracts with farm owners to market their products based on a system that will guarantee farm owners the best possible returns.

The supply contracts will provide farmers with many advantages, including marketing their fresh produce with ease and quality. The Centre also has branches and centres to receive crops and produce near local farms, to be transferred to packaging centres for processing before supplying them to local markets.

Nasser Mohammed Al Junaibi, acting CEO of the Farmers’ Services Centre, stressed that the agricultural production plan is one of the most effective and successful initiatives to provide an organised timeframe and qualitative structure for farm owners.

For the first time, the Farmers’ Services Centre has opened its registration process to farmers who wish to grow vegetables according to the seasonal agricultural plan for 2017 to 2018 by sending them a text message with the registration website link.