In order to increase food production and secure the country’s agricultural systems for the future, the UAE announced its determined efforts to construct the largest vertical farm in the world close to the Expo 2020 site. Additionally, it would support indoor, urban farming as the next significant development in the world’s food production cycles.
The UAE has now become home to one of the biggest indoor vertical farms growing saffron in the Mena area, which represents another advancement. The deep yellow-orange spice, which is claimed to be the most costly spice in the world, isn’t the most obvious choice to be grown in indoor vertical farming setups.
The cutting-edge vertical farm, housed in the Veggitech facility in Al Zubair, Sharjah, is prepared to produce high-yielding, high-grade saffron in a first-of-its-kind agrotech initiative in the UAE. In the midst of the pandemic, Veggitech, owned by the Saudi-based SNASCO Group, was established as a leader in cutting-edge technology with the primary objective of advancing the agriculture industry and democratising growth light-assisted hydroponics systems and penetration for mass movement in urban farming.
In order to ensure a more sustainable production cycle, the smart saffron indoor farm also promises eco-friendly practises that will result in healthier crops without the use of fertilisers and pesticides, as well as reduced land use and little water consumption.
