Abu Dhabi provides Dh641 million support to agricultural sector

Abu Dhabi - The support to help enhancing farming and livestock sector and promoting local production.

Support worth Dh641 million has been provided to farmers, livestock breeders and small-scale producers, in addition to families through the rice and flour programme in the first quarter of 2020, agricultural authorities have announced.

The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (Adafsa) said the support covered five main programmes, including improving farmers' income, animal and compound feed, and rice and flour.

"It has benefitted 138,000 families, 30,632 breeders and farmers, and 259 small-scale producers and commercial animal farms in Abu Dhabi," said the authority.

The financial support aimed at enhancing farming and livestock sector in Abu Dhabi and promoting local production.

Livestock and animal production market can play a strong economic benefit for the UAE and authorities make several investments to it to improve the industry's efficiency, added the authority.

Earlier this month, the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) said it had introduced 15 new economic activities for small-scale producers in the agricultural sector in Abu Dhabi, in cooperation with Adafsa, bringing the total number of economic activities to 46 in this field.

The latest package of activities targeted small-scale producers who cultivate wheat, corn, barley, leguminous vegetables, oil seeds, vegetables, roots, tubers, melons, flowers, buds, palms, fruits, citrus fruits, nuts, and fruit seeds from which spices and aromatic plants are extracted.

Rashed Abdul Karim Al Balooshi, Undersecretary of ADDED, said the launch of the new package of agricultural activities reflects the Abu Dhabi Government's commitment to support the agricultural boom witnessed by the UAE, that contributed to increasing the local production of various vegetables and fruits with more than 70 types of high-quality agricultural produce.

He explained that the set of economic activities in the agricultural sector will contribute to strengthening Abu Dhabi's efforts to introduce and adopt new high-yielding crops after ensuring their compatibility with the local environmental conditions. "In line with this, around 27 citrus crops were recently produced, following evaluation and approval. The move helps enhance the sector's contribution to the emirate's gross domestic product (GDP)," said Al Balooshi.

Saeed Al Bahri Salem Al Ameri, Director-General of Adafsa, said sustainable agricultural growth in Abu Dhabi has become a reality, attributing it to the government's vision and the cooperation of all relevant public entities. "The agriculture sector has been witnessing remarkable growth in terms of quantity and quality of production as well as the development of innovative agricultural methods based on modern technology and best practices," he said.

ismail@khaleejtimes.com

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• UAE
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