UAE-grown blueberries set for markets in Asia

Fruit will be on sale to people in Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong

A picker holds blueberries at Al Foah Farm in Al Ain. All photos unless otherwise stated: Khushnum Bhandari / The National

Huge greenhouses kitted out with water-based cooling systems house thousands of plants and bushes where the berries are in full bloom throughout their season.

Bumble bees imported from Europe help to pollinate thousands of berry bushes at Elite Agro’s Al Foah Farm.

Abdul Fattah, farm manager at Al Foah.

A worker picking berries.

Crates of blueberries packaged for sale.

The farm has 20 greenhouses for growing blueberries.

Raspberries grown by Elite Argo in a greenhouse at Al Foah Farm.

Worker weighing and packing the blueberries at Al Foah Farm in Al Ain.

Ian Summerfield, chief executive of Elite Agro at the farm in Al Ain.

Blueberries being grown in Elite Agro's greenhouse in Al Ain. Photo: Elite Agro

Blueberries grown in the UAE will soon be enjoyed by customers in Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong.

Elite Agro is the only producer of blueberries in the UAE and grows four varieties of the fruit in 20 greenhouses at its farm in Al Foah, near Al Ain.

The blueberries are on sale at shops across the UAE and online, but now they are also destined for international markets for the first time, the company said on Wednesday.

It follows a surge in production at the farm. During this year’s harvest season from January to May, the company expects to increase its output of blueberries to 290 tonnes, compared with 210 tonnes in 2021.

Each of the greenhouses now contain 3,350 blueberry plants that are then sold under the Elite Berry brand in the UAE.

The export drive is being led by Elite Global Fresh Trading, a subsidiary of Elite Agro, as it seeks to expand around the globe.

“As the UAE’s only producer of locally grown blueberries, through investment in our farms, our increased capacity has enabled us to build both commercial strength, while continuing to support the UAE’s ongoing food security agenda," said Abdulmonem Al Marzooqi, the divisional chief executive at Elite Agro.

"We are extremely proud of our expansion into new export markets, with international customers now being able to enjoy our high-quality Elite Berry blueberry varieties in support of their health and well-being."

The company first planted its blueberry saplings in 2017. Since then, it has expanded its production of blueberries to accommodate a growing demand for the superfood.

It also grows raspberries, blackberries, strawberries and potatoes in the UAE.

More foods, from oysters to lettuce, are being grown and produced locally as the country bolsters its food security.

Inside the UAE shellfish farm that is growing millions of oysters - in pictures

Oysters are typically farmed close to shore but these oysters are farmed off shore to take advantage of the warmer climate. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Dibba Bay Oysters farm in Fujairah, where millions of oysters are produced. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Oysters grow in a series of graduated nets, known as lanterns, metres beneath the surface of the sea. ocean farm. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Oysters grow in a series of graduated nets, known as lanterns, metres beneath the surface of the sea. ocean farm. Chris Whiteoak / The National

The lanterns protect the oysters while allowing the water to flow through so they can feed. Chris Whiteoak / The National

The lanterns are filled with oysters that take about eight months to grow before being harvested. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Oysters are harvested from the aqua farm. They take about eight months to grow completely. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Workers pull lanterns full of oysters from the sea. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Between 5,000 and 10,000 baby oysters fit in each lantern. Once fully grown, that reduces to about 400 to 500. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Ramie Murray, founder of Dibba Bay Oysters, is a Scottish expatriate who has lived in the UAE for more than two decades.. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Oysters are weighed in the weighing room back at the land processing area. Chris Whiteoak / The National

After passing through the offshore farm and processing platform, the oysters are washed down, cleaned and individually weighed at the on-shore sorting facility before being packed and shipped for local or international export. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Cleaned oysters are packaged so they can be sold. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Cleaned, freshly harvested oysters are ready for packaging. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Harvested oysters are cleaned before they are packaged and sold. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Oysters freshly pulled from the sea are taken for processing. Chris Whiteoak / The National

A worker separates the oysters based on their size at the land processing platform. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Ramie Murray, founder of Dibba Bay Oysters, buys baby oysters from the UK and France before growing them in the waters off Fujairah. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Oysters pass through the land processing area where they are weighed, cleaned and packaged for sale. Chris Whiteoak / The National

The processing platform, where the oysters are separated based on size and cleaned before packaging. Chris Whiteoak / The National