The UAE Produces More Than 80 Tons Of Wheat Throughout The Country

 

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) produces more than eighty tons of wheat at the state level during the harvest season under one of the top agricultural initiatives, Emirates Wheat. The UAE has begun expanding wheat production to reach self-sufficiency as the country is keen on achieving foodsecurity.

The agricultural initiative, Emirates Wheat, was launched in 2017 with the aim to reach self-sufficiency. The initiative includes 170 farms that produce more than eighty tons of wheat throughout the country.

How is the UAE able to produce eighty tons in a desert environment?

The Emirates Wheat initiative, led by farmer Hamid Obaid Al Zaabi, also includes a number of citizens. The initiative helps to expand the cultivation of wheat in various arable lands in the UAE’s regions, especially in untapped farms. Through this initiative, the farmers want to support the country’s efforts to achieve food security. The initiative also spreads awareness of the importance of cultivating various crops.

During the initial phase of the experiment, Hamid Obaid Al Zaabi noticed that they were able to grow crops from November to March each year by performing irrigation three to four times a week.

The irrigation process rationalises water consumption. In recent years, the UAE has also created desert farming equipped to handle rising temperatures and extreme weather conditions. The UAE has also invested a substantial amount of effort and resources into examining how new agricultural technology can help the country.

Reportedly, the number of farms participating in the initiative increased from 145 to 170 farms within a year. Consequently, the volume of wheat production reached from 50 tons to more than 80 tons.

Al Zaabi also said in an interview with the Emirates News Agency (WAM ) that the future of wheat cultivation in the UAE looks optimistic. However, he also pointed out that the culture of wheat cultivation must change in the UAE.

According to Al Zaabi, the UAE has the necessary capabilities to grow important grains, which represent the main driver of the food crisis that the world is witnessing due to the Russia-Ukraine war.

Reportedly, the UAE has relatively large areas suitable for the cultivation of important grains. The country has also spent on modern irrigation networks and organic fertilizers that do not contain any pesticides or chemicals, which means that the local Emirati production, despite the limited production, is superior to the imported product.