Food import ban will not affect UAE market during Ramadan: Ministry

The UAE local market will not be affected by the ban on some agricultural products from a number of Arab countries with regard to their pricing during the Holy Month of Ramadan, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment has said.

It reiterated that the ban on these products will not affect the market in terms of quantity or quality, as there are alternative markets for importing these banned products.

The ministry said the market immediately responded to the ban by importing products from Saudi Arabia, India, Pakistan, Morocco, Tunisia, South Africa, The Netherlands, Malaysia, New Zealand, US, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, in addition to Turkey, France, Italy, Spain, and other exporting countries.

It also said that local products are meeting the demands of the market. The local production of zucchini exceeded 18,500 tonnes, while eggplants were over 18,555 tonnes.

There is also abundant production of cauliflower at over 11,320 tonnes. Cabbage stood at 13,420 tonnes, pepper about 4,000 tonnes and leafage at about 8,000 tonnes, it said.

The ministry stressed its keenness, along with local authorities, to provide healthy and safe food to consumers. This is in line with the best international practices, the national agenda, and the UAE Vision 2021, as food safety is one of the main pillars of the food security system in the UAE.

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