Launched the Youth Stations Food Security Project

"Climate Change": We seek to reach 25% of the local agricultural product in the country's markets

During the launch of the project in Dubai yesterday.

Ahmed Ardeti

The Minister of Climate Change and Environment, Dr. Abdullah Belhaif Al-Nuaimi, announced yesterday the launch of the “Youth Stations for Food Security” project, in cooperation with the National and Reserve Service Authority, to train and qualify young people wishing to work in the agricultural field, noting that the project includes granting the young man a diploma. High in agriculture.

He stated that the local agricultural product currently contributes 10 to 15% of the supply in the country's markets, and the ministry is seeking to increase this percentage to 25%. He said in press statements: "The project includes five stations, and it will start with the first station of the program in Abu Dhabi, which targets 50 A young man affiliated with the national service, as a first stage, and the number in the five stations will increase to 300,” pointing out that the citizen, through the program, is concerned with agricultural technology, and the goal is to upgrade and diversify the local agricultural product during the next five years, in addition to focusing on food quality and monitoring product and increase production rate.

He stated that young people are trained through this initiative on technological uses in diversified agriculture, and how to benefit from all its components, such as agricultural waste that is converted into fertilizers.

He explained that the program's affiliate will obtain a recognized high diploma in agriculture, which would make the young citizen an element capable of working in the profession of agriculture professionally, pointing out that raising the contribution of local products to 25% in local markets pushes the imported product to be more The increase in the local product may contribute to a decline in the imported product from 90% currently to 75%.

He continued, "The UAE markets will witness self-sufficiency in some local crops, during the next five years, and the most prominent candidates for leafy self-sufficiency, while it is difficult to self-sufficiency in some agricultural products, including rice, because they need a certain technology to be cultivated in the Emirati environment."

On the main challenges facing farmers, Al-Nuaimi said: “It is natural that the farmer can farm, but he cannot market his product, and the ministry has taken a number of practical steps that contribute to supporting the marketing of local products, and in this context, the ministry will sign an agreement next week with One of the companies that will be concerned with the marketing, storage and quality of the local product, and other agreements with a number of private parties will follow it. Therefore, starting from next year, after this agreement, marketing will become part of the Ministry’s role to support farmers. The Ministry is also concerned with the agricultural product so that it is healthy. The agreement with all the municipalities of the country to examine every product that enters the market, and from the next stage, the product will not enter the markets in the UAE without passing laboratory tests that confirm its safety.”

The event announcing the project, organized by the ministry, was attended by Major General Pilot Staff Sheikh Ahmed bin Tahnoun bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the National and Reserve Service Authority, Minister of State for Entrepreneurship and Small and Medium Enterprises, Dr. Ahmed bin Abdullah Humaid Belhoul Al Falasi, and Minister of Community Development, Hessa bint Issa Buhumaid Jamila bint Salem Musabah Al Muhairi, Minister of State for Public Education Affairs, Minister of State Dr. Maitha bint Salem Al Shamsi, and Saeed Al Nazari, Director General of the Federal Youth Authority.The project aims to develop integrated “modern agricultural” stations that employ the latest technologies in accordance with the climatic conditions of the UAE to qualify and develop the skills of young people in the agricultural field and train them to implement and manage various modern agricultural systems and enhance the productive capacities of these systems and market their products, which enhances their ability to entrepreneurship and investment. In sustainable food production systems, it contributes to supporting trends in food security and sustainability and ensuring the resilience and continuity of supply chains. The stations will serve as main platforms to support and enhance the capabilities of pioneering and emerging projects in the field of food sustainability, in a manner that ensures environmental protection.

Al Nuaimi said: "The challenges posed by the (Corona) pandemic have placed the promotion of food security and sustainability at the forefront of the directions of the UAE and the international community in general, so the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment is working in cooperation with its strategic partners from the public and private sectors to ensure food sustainability through an integrated system that includes Enhancing the flexibility and continuity of local and imported food supply chains, raising the productivity and efficiency of the local product and increasing its contribution to the local market.

Al Nuaimi explained that the project will represent an integrated system to increase the volume and quality of local agricultural production (vegetable, animal, fish and bee), as it will continuously work to rehabilitate and train successive batches of Emirati youth specialized in investment and entrepreneurship in this field, and will establish several stations in stages. consecutively, which contributes to an increase in local production. Major General Pilot Sheikh Ahmed bin Tahnoun bin Mohammed Al Nahyan said: "The Youth Food Security Stations project comes as an important step within the national efforts to contribute to achieving the goals of the UAE to enhance food security, empower young people and involve them in the future industry, and keeps pace with the forward-looking and proactive vision of the leadership to prepare and readiness to deal with With all circumstances and challenges, and in line with the assurances of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, that food and medicine in the UAE are a red line.” He added:“This national initiative will be led by the sons of the country among the alternative service conscripts on whom the leadership bet and won its bet on them and confirmed its confidence in their ability to serve the nation in all fields, as this category of conscripts has proven that it is capable and efficiently to defend and serve its homeland and contribute to the sustainability and continuity of the sectors’ work systems vital in times of emergencies and crises that may be exposed.”

The first phase will be implemented in cooperation between the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, the National and Reserve Service Authority, and the private sector represented by Emirati businessman Hamed Al-Hamid, and will depend on the qualification and training of 50 young alternative service members.

Minister of State for Youth Affairs Shamma bint Suhail Al Mazrouei said: "We are working, according to the vision of our leadership, to enhance investment in the energies of youth to serve the strategic development paths in the country by engaging young people, refining their skills, building their capabilities, and linking them in a practical way to the main vital sectors."

Minister of State for Food and Water Security, Maryam bint Mohammed Al Muhairi, said: "Qualifying human and youth cadres is one of the most important directions for promoting various vital sectors, which include food security in the UAE, and building human capacities is one of the possibilities to achieve the objectives of the national strategy for food security."

7 advantages of the project

1- A national project in partnership between the public and private sectors.

2- It aims to qualify young people in the agricultural field and train them on modern agricultural systems.

3- Supports the provision of diverse job opportunities for youth and entrepreneurs in the agricultural sector.

4- The first phase of the project for young people who are members of the alternative service.

5- The later stages primarily target Emirati youth in general.

6- The affiliates are granted an accredited professional diploma for agricultural entrepreneurship.

7 includes departments for agriculture, livestock, fish farming, fodder and honey production.

• The project is an important step within the national efforts to contribute to achieving the state's objectives.

• The project includes granting the young man a higher diploma in agriculture.

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