Farmers in Abu Dhabi are being offered tips to protect their produce from frost as temperatures plunge. Courtesy: Abu Dhabi Food Safety and Agriculture Authority.
Farmers in Abu Dhabi are being offered tips to protect their produce from frost as temperatures plunge. Courtesy: Abu Dhabi Food Safety and Agriculture Authority.
Farmers in Abu Dhabi are being offered tips to protect their produce from frost as temperatures plunge. Courtesy: Abu Dhabi Food Safety and Agriculture Authority.
Farmers in Abu Dhabi are being offered tips to protect their produce from frost as temperatures plunge. Courtesy: Abu Dhabi Food Safety and Agriculture Authority.

Plunging temperatures prompt frost warning to Abu Dhabi farmers


Haneen Dajani
  • English
  • Arabic

The UAE is enjoying the chilliest winter in years, but for keen gardeners and farmers, the morning frost is a challenge.

Sub-zero temperatures combined with fog and damp conditions led to thin layers of morning frost that can be enough to ruin a carefully manicured garden or a full-fledged farm.

On Monday, farmers in Abu Dhabi were warned about "cold waves" that could harm their produce and officials from Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority offered tips to help protect their fruit and vegetables.

During a visit to the Rukna region of Al Ain last week, The National saw icicles on trees and plants. Early risers has to scrape ice off their cars.

  • Fahad Mohammed of the UAE Storm Centre shows some ice build-up on shrubs during low temperatures at Raknah, Al Ain, which went down to -4 degrees Celsius at one point. All photos by Victor Besa / The National
    Fahad Mohammed of the UAE Storm Centre shows some ice build-up on shrubs during low temperatures at Raknah, Al Ain, which went down to -4 degrees Celsius at one point. All photos by Victor Besa / The National
  • Mr Mohammed of the UAE Storm Centre scrapes off some ice build up on a car during low temperatures.
    Mr Mohammed of the UAE Storm Centre scrapes off some ice build up on a car during low temperatures.
  • Al Ain residents enjoy the cold weather.
    Al Ain residents enjoy the cold weather.
  • Rashid and Khalid drove to the region to experience the cold.
    Rashid and Khalid drove to the region to experience the cold.
  • The temperature drops below freezing in Raknah.
    The temperature drops below freezing in Raknah.
  • Ice forms on cars in Raknah.
    Ice forms on cars in Raknah.
  • A fire was lit to keep people warm as temperatures sink.
    A fire was lit to keep people warm as temperatures sink.
  • Ice formed around plants and greenery.
    Ice formed around plants and greenery.
  • Abdallah, wearing just a kandura to protect himself from the cold, at Raknah.
    Abdallah, wearing just a kandura to protect himself from the cold, at Raknah.
  • Al Ain residents gather around a campfire at Al Raknah.
    Al Ain residents gather around a campfire at Al Raknah.
  • Mr Mohammed of the UAE Storm Centre scrapes off some ice on a car.
    Mr Mohammed of the UAE Storm Centre scrapes off some ice on a car.

The agriculture authority said such icy temperatures could be a menace to farmers.

"This could lead to major economic losses," the authority said.

Farmers were advised to cover their produce with a canvas or net and to plant windbreakers across their farms to reduce the likelihood of frost forming.

“The windbreakers could be in the form of trees or building a siege around the farm,” said Adel Al Saeedi, a manager at the authority.

Another trick is to use cold-resistant seeds, he said.

“The most important thing is irrigation. In cold weather, farmers should water their plants at noon when it is warmest and it should be done sparingly," Mr Al Saeedi said.

He said the cold weather mostly affected plants "because they are in a bare area, there is nothing to protect them from the cold air mass".

Major changes in temperature can kill plants and spoil a farmer's produce.

"Plants need a certain level of temperature to blossom and extreme drops kill the plants, because the fluid inside the plant cells freezes," he said.

"Over the past few days, we have witnessed the temperature dropping below 10°C at times, and below zero in Rukna.

"However, none of the farmers reported plant deaths because we were able to save them."

In addition to educating farmers about precautionary measures through social media, representatives from the authority visited farms to offer advice.

"If any farmers face issues, they can also seek help from our guidance centres. There are 15 of them spread across the emirate and they provide all kinds of support," he said.

Mr Al Saeedi said the cold weather could continue for some time.

“We expect anything. The UAE climate is unstable so we always warn farmers to be alert. The cold waves could return any time," he said.

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Company: Bidzi

● Started: 2024

● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid

● Based: Dubai, UAE

● Industry: M&A

● Funding size: Bootstrapped

● No of employees: Nine

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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4.0-litre%2C%20flat%20six-cylinder%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Eseven-speed%20PDK%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E510hp%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E470Nm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Efrom%20Dh634%2C200%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo 4-cyl

Transmission: eight-speed auto

Power: 190bhp

Torque: 300Nm

Price: Dh169,900

On sale: now 

Match info

Manchester United 1 (Van de Beek 80') Crystal Palace 3 (Townsend 7', Zaha pen 74' & 85')

Man of the match Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace)

Russia's Muslim Heartlands

Dominic Rubin, Oxford

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
The%20Genius%20of%20Their%20Age
%3Cp%3EAuthor%3A%20S%20Frederick%20Starr%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20Oxford%20University%20Press%3Cbr%3EPages%3A%20290%3Cbr%3EAvailable%3A%20January%2024%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

The Cockroach

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Ian McEwan 
 

Results

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