Soil-free brings self sufficiency step closer

As Zaarie project puts lessons of past to work and hydroponics spreads, Emirati producers push for more market share.

Farming at Al Khatim in Abu Dhabi has become part of Founder Sheikh Zayed’s legacy for the nation. Christopher Pike / The National

ABU DHABI // The UAE is moving closer to its food security goals by increasing the number of farms that work all year round.

The Zaarie project, which was launched three years ago by the Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development and the Farmers’ Services Centre, aims to upgrade the farms to hydroponics, a method of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions in water without soil.

“We introduced new technologies in farming to save water, electricity and to minimise the use of pesticides,” said Ahmed Al Romaithi, project head for the fund, a government organisation that helps develop the emirates’ businesses.

“More than 80 per cent of water is saved so far, and you need four to five times the space in conventional farming in greenhouses to produce the same amount.”

Hydroponics has made a promising contribution to the country’s food security.

“There have been many trials long ago in the UAE to start similar projects but the lack of expertise was the main reason for their failure,” he said. “Nowadays however, the fund and the FSC are offering financial and technical support to these projects so we can safely say that all hydroponic projects that we supervise are highly successful.”

There are more than 24,000 farms across the emirate contributing to almost 10 per cent of national requirements for produce.

One hundred of them were loaned Dh1 million each as part of the programme. Farmers were given a grace period of two to three years before paying the fund back in interest-free instalments over five years.

“Hydroponics are great for a country like the UAE due to the water scarcity,” said Mohammed Al Nuaimi, an Emirati farmer in Al Ain who grows strawberries, cabbage, tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and herbs.

“They produce the same quality, and in some cases even better, than what is being imported.”

So far, 47 of the 100 farms each produced almost 100,000 kilograms of food, including tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, aubergine and lettuce, annually in the Western Region, Al Ain and Abu Dhabi, up from seven farms last year.

Another 10 were under test and the remaining 43 were under construction, expected to be ready early next year.

“There is a dire need to develop hydroponics, to establish new farms to contribute to the UAE’s food security and to enhance the income of local farmers,” Mr Al Romaithi said.

Staff from the fund visit the farms on a weekly basis for monitoring and assistance. With most of the produce selling in Union Coop in Dubai, Lulu Hypermarkets, Abu Dhabi Coop and Carrefour, farmers can make a net profit of up to Dh300,000 a year.

“The Government could help partially subsidise water to the farms which are producing a lot,” he said. “It will save the farmer a headache, so I will be asking the Government for that.”