A plan to increase the local production capacity of food resources by 15% in 2021
An "agricultural revolution" in the desert of Dubai
In the "Al Badia" farm, different leafy plants grow vertically under pink rays, using vertical hydroponic technology, without the need for sunlight or much water. A.F.B.
Abdul Latif Al-Banna grows pineapples using hydroponic technology in four greenhouses in Al Aweer. A.F.B.
picture
In the heat of August in the desert of Dubai, green plants grow amid a smart farm in an unusual scene, while Dubai seeks to enhance its food security by focusing on its own production, especially after the closure caused by the outbreak of the new Corona virus.
With the measures taken in various countries to combat the spread of the "Covid-19" epidemic and its impact on supply chains around the world, many are looking at the possibility of increasing the role of local farms in supplying the market with their needs.
In the "Al-Badia" farm in central Dubai, leafy plants grow, including different types of lettuce, cabbage and basil, vertically under pink rays, using vertical hydroponic technology without the need for sunlight or a lot of water.
The manager of the farm, Basil Jamal, asserts that the project constitutes an "agricultural revolution in the heart of the desert", stressing that "we produce continuously in summer and winter." "We give the plant the amount of light, humidity it needs, heat and water," Jamal says, jokingly "like a five-star hotel."
He points out that in Dubai, "We have six months of the year in which it is very difficult to grow abroad," explaining, "Everything must be controllable."
The farm recycles 90% of the water it uses, and produces hundreds of kilograms annually to cover the needs of the local market. Gamal asserts that this is "the future of agriculture," adding, "We do not want to depend on imports." We want to have local production throughout the year, regardless of climate change, weather, rain or drought. ” The "Al Badia" farm is one of several farms in Dubai seeking to boost self-agricultural production.
Also in Dubai, Abdullatif Al-Banna grows pineapples using hydroponic technology in four greenhouses on his farm in Al-Aweer. Al-Banna sells his pineapple crop, which amounts to four thousand pineapples annually, via the Internet.
In addition to pineapples, Al-Banna grows various types of fruits, vegetables and even wheat in the least free months of the year, to produce enough for himself and his family, and he hopes that others will do the same.
Smart agriculture is one of several initiatives that have emerged in the emirate in recent years to boost local production, including the establishment of salmon farms and the development of self-production of milk and dairy products on local farms.
Reducing external dependence
The UAE seeks to increase domestic production to reduce its dependence on abroad, and the UAE’s ranking on the Global Food Security Index advanced 10 places in 2019 to occupy the tenth place in the world.
There is a tendency to focus on the method of smart farming to overcome the challenges facing agriculture in the country.
Dubai has drawn up a plan to increase the local production capacity of food resources by 15% in 2021, according to Omar Bushehab, head of the Dubai Food Security Committee.
Bushehab said that "technology empowerment and its use in food production will also be enhanced by 30% for the same year." Bushehab stresses that Dubai "will be keen to provide a strategic stockpile of three to six months for 21 basic products."
He says that "technology will be enabled and the harsh climatic conditions in the emirate of Dubai will be overcome by 30% by boosting agricultural production," stressing the presence of "gestures made by the emirate to enhance local production for farmers."
Re-export
Thanks to its most diversified economy among the Gulf countries and the Middle East, and its modern infrastructure, Dubai has become in recent years an important air transport hub, a financial center and a tourist destination, and it relies heavily on technology and artificial intelligence.
With the advent of the new Corona virus crisis, the shelves of shops were not empty of various goods, including vegetables and fruits, so that Dubai, in light of the closure measures, re-exported some vegetables and fruits to countries in the Gulf and the region.
In the “Farsh Market” in the emirate, workers stockpile thousands of tons of different types of imported fruits before they are distributed.
"Dubai has infrastructure and stocks," said Reda Al Mansoori, CEO of Fresh Market, adding, "We have enough strategic stocks for the UAE and even neighboring countries."
Under the closure measures, Dubai has re-exported vegetables and fruits to countries in the Gulf and the region.
The "Al Badia" farm produces leafy plants, including different types of lettuce, cabbage and basil.