14 farmers started the idea ... and 50 tons are expected in the harvest season
A voluntary initiative that distributes wheat seed to farmers for free
Wheat does not consume much water and has an abundant yield.
Photography: Osama Abu Ghanem
Hamid Obaid Al Zaabi: Farmers have succeeded in growing wheat during the past years, just like our ancestors.
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Citizen farmers launched a voluntary initiative called "Emirates Wheat" through the application of WhatsApp to distribute wheat seeds (seed) free of charge to farmers, with the aim of supporting local farms and encouraging wheat cultivation in the country, and they succeeded in annexing 145 farms to the project, which is expected to contribute to the production of About 50 tons of wheat will be harvested during the next two weeks.
The supervisor of the initiative, farmer Hamid Obaid Al Zaabi, told "Emirates Today" that the idea of a wheat cultivation project in the country began by establishing a "group" on the application of "WhatsApp" that includes 14 farmers at the state level, as they worked to put forward ideas and innovations about The culture of wheat cultivation and harvesting mechanism in the desert environment.
He explained that cooperation has been made with farmers, and a campaign has been launched to distribute wheat seeds (seeds) of all kinds for free, whether they are suitable for baking or agriculture, and of all sizes, long and small, pointing out that some farmers responded to the initiative and fertilized their lands and irrigated them, to determine the quality of wheat and the extent of its response to the local land. .
Al-Zaabi added, “Immediately after planting wheat in its season from the first of November until March two years ago, we started to harvest a bumper crop of wheat. We started the project with 14 farmers, and so far we have reached 145 farmers after the success of the initiative.”
He pointed out that with the beginning of last November, we distributed wheat seeds to farmers joining the project, and the harvest season will take place within the next two weeks, expecting to harvest more than 50 tons of wheat, adding that the initiative provided farmers with wheat seeds and harvesting machines in order to encourage citizen farmers to grow wheat. .
Al-Zaabi explained that the farmers participating in the initiative developed a work plan that includes the distribution of roles and tasks among them, as some farmers planted wheat for the first time, provided that during the harvest season they distribute its seeds to the rest of the farmers in the country.
He explained that, for example, a farmer is given 20 kilograms of wheat to grow him, so that in the harvest season he produces 300 kilograms, from which he takes 200 kilograms for personal use, and distributes 100 kilograms to other farmers, pointing out that this mechanism contributed to increasing wheat production and increasing the number of farms. Which has grown wheat to more than 100 farms nationwide.
Al-Zaabi added, "The farmers have succeeded in cultivating wheat during the past years, just like our ancestors who cultivated it on the slopes of the mountains in the eastern region and in Ras Al-Khaimah, where we took from them the experience in incorporating wheat into the soil by fertilizing it with organic fertilizers free of any chemicals or pesticides."
He pointed out that once the soil is fertilized and irrigated with water, whether with rainwater in case it falls or irrigated through the subterranean parents or the water available to farmers, the land becomes ready for cultivation, as the crop is irrigated twice a week, because wheat does not consume much water according to the experiences that Carried out by farmers.
A future plan for wheat marketing
The supervisor of the voluntary initiative, farmer Hamid Obaid Al-Zaabi, stated that the wheat production last year ranged between 15 and 20 tons during the harvest season, and that the crop is expected to increase during the current harvest season (the first half of this March) to 50 tons, due to the high number of farmers.
He added that wheat is not marketed at the present time, and is consumed by farmers and their families throughout the year, but farmers have a future plan to market their wheat crop at 10% of local consumption by supporting the rest of the farmers and providing seeds (seeds) for them for free, and helping them grow it. And harvest it according to the environment that suits them.
- 145
National farmers participate in the initiative.
The initiative aims to encourage farmers to grow wheat in the desert environment.
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