Employing hydroponic vertical gardening, UAE farmers are turning the desert into an oasis of green
A 400-hectare farm in Maliha was harvesting protein-enriched wheat on Monday, and His Highness Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, had personally seen the event. The seeds were planted on November 30 of the previous year, and the crop is anticipated to produce 15,200 tonnes of wheat, reducing the emirate’s reliance on imported wheat.
The Zero project, which involves retrofitting a 1,000 square metre warehouse to test climate-controlled farming equipment, was announced by ADQ’s AgTech Park. When fully operational, the 200-hectare AgTech Park would aim to produce over 40 tonnes of fresh produce yearly, which would account for up to 6% and 12%, respectively, of the UAE’s total consumption and import of fresh produce grown within the park.
The largest vertical farm in the world, Emirates Crop One (ECO 1), was visited by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai, in September of last year. The 330,000 square foot, $40 million plant can produce more than 1 million kg of high-quality leafy greens each year, including spinach, kale, arugula, and four varieties of lettuce, while using 95% less water than traditional agriculture. The Bustanica brand sells these vegetables in grocery stores.
The largest indoor vertical farm for research and development (R&D) in the world, AeroFarms AgX, opened its doors in Abu Dhabi’s Mussafah industrial district last month. Rather than being consumed, the veggies produced are used by scientists, researchers and engineers to find the “proper algorithms for a perfect growth, and solutions for the industry.” The facility is also used to study producing chemical and pesticide free food in arid and desert environments.
In November of last year, the first saffron harvest in the UAE took place. The world’s most costly spice was grown in an area measuring about 165 square metres, or 3.5 hectares of land. The development of saffron bulbs was closely observed using smart devices, which included cameras and sensors.
At the Aerovertica vertical farms in Dubai Silicon Oasis and Al Qusais, the UAE also grows its own strawberries. Almost 500kg of strawberries may be supplied each week by these two vertical strawberry fields in Dubai. Also, they have a “pluck ‘n pay” promotion whereby guests can pick strawberries, pay, and then eat or take them away.
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