Officials of outlets said that they started allocating spaces and platforms to display the products of Emirati farms in the shelves of these outlets, most notably vegetables, fruits, meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy and their various products, with signs to clarify to consumers that these products are produced "with pride from the UAE".
They assured, "Emirates Today", that there is a demand from consumers to buy Emirati products, which pushes them to increase the exhibition space allocated to them in the coming period.
His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, confirmed that coordination had been made with the Abu Dhabi Authority for Agriculture and Food Safety to compel commercial shops, centers and consumer cooperative societies to allocate special shelves to market products for Emirati farmers and local producers, with a view to displaying their products directly and delivering them to The consumer, without the need for distributors, in the framework of the services provided to farmers, and to encourage the national agricultural product, especially during these conditions.
For their part, two investors from the owners of farms described the decision as a "lifeline", and it came at the time for many local farms that face difficulties in marketing their production, despite its high quality, demanding the necessity of regular contracts between farmers and sales outlets, as happens in All over the world, especially since the domestic product is able to compete with the importer aggressively.
In turn, an expert in the field of retail confirmed that the decision helps farm owners in giving them the opportunity to market their products, after they find difficulties in marketing and display their products in some outlets.
Domestic products
In detail, the head of marketing and communications at Lulu Group, Nanda Kumar, said that “(the group) has finally started to allocate spaces for Emirati local products in its branches in the country, especially for Emirati farm products, with indicative signs showing that they are local products.”
Kumar explained that the most prominent of these products are vegetables, fruits, meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy and their various products.
He emphasized that the “Group” intends to increase the areas allocated for the local product in the coming days, in addition to allocating more shelves to display these products.
Special sections
For its part, the Abu Dhabi Cooperative Society said that it has started allocating special sections in its branches to Emirati local products, with the development of clear signs and signs indicating that these sections are specific to local products, noting that the large branches of the association have been started, and then extend to all branches in The Emirate.
The association pointed out that the most prominent existing local products are vegetables, fruits, meat, fish and milk, noting that there is a demand for local products, as many consumers prefer to buy them, explaining that the demand for them is increasing from consumers, especially as they are fresh products and directly from farms, unlike imported products That takes a long time to ship.
Farm products
An official at one of the major sales outlets, Mohamed Al-Asaad, said that the port started a few days ago to allocate large areas on the shelves in many sections of the port for local Emirati products, especially the products of fresh farms, especially vegetables, fruits, dairy, milk, eggs, meat and fish.
He revealed that, during the coming period, a working group from the port management will be formed to communicate with the owners of the farms, and to discuss ways to increase the local Emirati products, and to face any obstacles that prevent them from being strongly on the shelves.
Lifeline
For his part, praised one of the owners of the farmer (HA), he only mentioned the initials of his name, the government decision, and described it as a "lifeline" came in his time to many local farms that face difficulties in marketing their production, despite its high quality, pointing He personally sought to market his fruit production at outlets, but he did not succeed, despite repeated promises from the outlets.
One of the owners of the farms (PJ), who preferred not to be named, said that the aim of this step is to regulate the relationship between the market and sales outlets on the one hand and farmers on the other hand, demanding that there are regular contracts between farmers and sales outlets, as happens in all parts of the world, So that there is a prior contract on the types and quantities of crops, which helps in knowing the market needs and providing the required crops, rather than importing from abroad, despite the high quality of the local product.
He pointed out that what is happening now is the mediation of some agencies at the sales outlets in order to offer a little production of farms, pointing out that farmers do not need temporary mediation, but rather regular contracts for the benefit of all parties.
He stressed that domestic production can compete with the importer aggressively, but if he can take his opportunity in marketing and support.
sale points
For his part, retail expert, Ibrahim Al-Bahr said, "The government directive to compel sales outlets and associations to make divisions for the local product is an excellent decision, and gives local products the opportunity to compete that they deserve in outlets and associations."
Adding that «the local product, especially farm products, are characterized as fresh and of high quality», explaining that the imported products are good as well, except that weather conditions, climate change, and transportation factors that take hours, and sometimes days, affect the product.
He denied rumors that the local product is more expensive than the importer, based on his experience as a former official in both the Union Cooperative Society and the Abu Dhabi Cooperative Society, explaining that price competition is in the interest of the local product, noting that the prices of some types of vegetables and fruits rise somewhat in a way Exceptional in the summer period, due to the need to grow in air-conditioned greenhouses due to the intense heat. The sea noted that the decision not only benefits the owners of farms, but also benefits the owners of the outlets and consumers at the same time.
He explained that the decision helps farm owners to give them the opportunity to market their products, after they find difficulties in marketing and display their products in some outlets, similar to the imported product, as it benefits the outlets that will offer fresh goods and there is demand, which increases their customers, and creates strong competition between the product Domestic and importer in quality and prices for the benefit of consumers.
Display stands for locally produced goods
The Department of Economic Development in Abu Dhabi directed commercial centers, outlets and cooperative societies to allocate display platforms and "counters" for goods and commodities produced locally, in support of the local product in the country's markets.
The department told «Emirates Today» that it «began coordination with the sales outlets in the emirate, and major outlets have allocated special spaces and shelves for the local product, with the development of boards and prominent signs, indicating that these products and goods (with pride from the UAE)».
The department pointed out that the coming period will witness contacts with a greater and more comprehensive number of sales outlets to allocate large areas for local products, with prominent indicative panels, in addition to holding meetings with Emirati farm owners to get acquainted with their products, procedures and steps that they need during the coming period to support the marketing of their products.
• The products carry the slogan "with pride in the UAE" .. and the demand from consumers to buy them.