New initiative aims to raise share of local farm products in UAE

ABU DHABI, Oct 9 (Gulfnews): The UAE residents can expect more locally-produced fruits and vegetables in the market, thanks to a new initiative in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi has already announced its plan to increase the market share of local produce to 40 per cent in the next five years from the current share of about 15 per cent. Sometimes farms in Abu Dhabi become non-operational or fall into disrepair when owners do not get enough time to oversee the farm, because many farm owners are living far away from their farms. Since it affects the overall productivity and availability of local vegetables and fruits, Abu Dhabi Farmers Service Centre (ADFSC) has put in place a mechanism to provide management services to farm owners who face practical difficulties in managing the farms. "For farm owners living far away from their farms it doesn't make sense to spend a lot of time checking up on labourers and farm supervisors," a top official of the centre told Gulf News. "We are happy to assume that job," Christopher Hirst, CEO of the centre, said. The centre was established in 2009 by Abu Dhabi Government, aiming to improve the sustainability of the emirate's agricultural sector, reduce water use, improve the quality of local produce, enhance national food security and ensure a fair income for farmers. The centre has launched a brand for high-quality, locally-grown vegetables recently. About 80 farms have so far made contracts with the centre to manage the farms under the recently introduced scheme. The main point of the scheme is to help the farmers. "If an owner isn't able to manage his farm and he wants it to be a productive money-maker, selling vegetables or dates or livestock, then we will develop a plan with the farmer to make that happen," Hirst said. "On the other hand, if the farm owner just wants to produce products for his family's consumption, then we'll make sure that plan is implemented. It all depends on what the farmer's objectives are," he explained. Asked whether the scheme reduces the area of unused fertile land in the emirate, the CEO said the goal of the programme is to improve the management of existing farms in order to keep them sustainable and productive. It is more of a strategy to support farmers, he said.