Crop production for Abu Dhabi farmers’ centre to start at month-end

ABU DHABI // Crop production for the Abu Dhabi Farmers’ Services Centre will start at the end of the month.

Harvesting is due to begin in November, with a total of 40 products to be grown during the season. Four additional crops will also be added compared with the previous season.

“We are keen to develop an annual production plan in order to achieve sustainability in the agriculture sector and support food security in the emirate of Abu Dhabi,” said Khalifa Al Ali, the centre’s managing director. “The plan takes into consideration production and harvesting time in addition to studying the situation of the market and the processes of supply and demand for products that can be grown in local soil.”

Farmers are expected to supply an estimated 31,050 tonnes of class one produce during the harvest season.

To meet this increase in production, the plan will require 6,526 acres of land, including 4,635 for open field crops and almost 2,000 for greenhouse crops - equivalent to around 5,670 individual greenhouses.

The production period lasts for 34 weeks, including 15 weeks of ‘peak season’ where up to 1,300 tonnes will be harvested per week.

Ten key crops represent approximately 77 per cent of the total expected production, including cucumbers, at around 41 per cent, followed by round tomatoes at more than 16 per cent, eggplant at almost five per cent and sweet peppers coming in at just above four per cent.

This season’s plan focuses on cultivating crops such as cabbage, potatoes and coloured pepper.