DUBAI, 13th July, 2020 (WAM) — Her Excellency Maryam bint Mohammed Al Muhairi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, chaired the sixth meeting of the Central Regional Farmers Council. Ways to improve food security and modern farming practices to advance efforts to provide safe and sustainable food for all people in the UAE.

The meeting was attended by Engineer Mohammed Musa Al Amiri, Assistant Undersecretary for Food Diversity, Ministry of Climate Change and Environment.

During her speech, Her Excellency Maryam Al Muhairi said the wise leadership of the UAE places great emphasis on improving national food security according to sustainable and climate-smart foundations, ensuring the provision of safe and sufficient food to all members of society. the future.

His Excellency said: “We are working collaboratively with all relevant authorities locally and globally to create a food sector that is more robust and resilient and able to face challenges. Modern agricultural technology is one of the most important solutions to these challenges. Represented by the scarcity of agricultural land and water, it contributes to reducing , which reduces the carbon footprint of the sector and the entire food value chain and protects natural resources from being wasted.

His Excellency added: “We place special emphasis on modern, climate-smart agricultural systems, and this key file will be the focus of the UAE and its partners during discussions at the COP28 Conference of Parties, which will take place next November. Whereas, the UAE has a pioneering experience in adopting these methods. Farmers Council members and all our partners from the public and private sector are working in full cooperation to increase agricultural production with good results and provide all support to national farms and help farmers access the market.

The sixth meeting of the Farmers’ Council reviewed the results of the last five meetings, which contributed to the development of the annual agricultural plan in accordance with the guidelines and pillars of the strategy, the approval of modern agricultural methods applicable to farmers, the approval of programs of applied agricultural research programs to be implemented in approved farms, and the development of programs to enhance the skills and transfer expertise of farmers, as well as Approval of annual agricultural production plans and promotion of plans for marketing of agricultural produce.

The meeting discussed developments in the National Farm Sustainability Initiative aimed at strengthening partnerships and linkages with the government and private sectors, initiatives and programs to strengthen the agricultural sector and local production, and implementation of the initiative’s action plan. The meeting also discussed financing modern agriculture projects in the field of food security and creating an agricultural support system by updating their data using the support given to farmers.

The meeting reviewed the latest results regarding the Integrated National Program for Monitoring Residues in Food and Monitoring Pesticide Residues in Agricultural Products to ensure safe food for all. Where the categories of target samples studied included fresh vegetables and fruits, dried fruits and vegetables, cereals and pulses, spices and nuts, honey and its products.

The Council also discussed recommendations for short-term testing of pesticide residues through collaboration with the private sector to establish laboratories for testing pesticide residues in vegetables and fruits in various emirates of the country. . The Council’s work plan for 2023 and its most important achievements so far were also discussed.

Various measures and initiatives, including a target for the development of the agriculture sector and an agri-tourism project, were discussed to promote local agriculture through the tourism sector, and the efforts of the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment were intensified. A mechanism to support agritourism farms.

Regarding Farmer Support Scheme, the Council reviewed implementation of approved support mechanism for 2023 and marketing of local agricultural produce through fairs organized at state level with participation of farmers.

The meeting also reviewed implementation of measures to import and trade agricultural production inputs within the license of modern agriculture in the country and licensing of economic activities on productive agricultural lands.

The Farmers Council meeting also discussed the “Farms Scholarship” initiative launched in collaboration with Awqaf and Minors Fund Management Foundation, Majid Al Futtaim and Carrefour, Mohammed Bin Rashid Global Center for Endowment and Endowment Consultancy in Dubai. and aims to benefit from surplus agricultural crops on farms and distribute them to households. By collecting the surplus from the production of the farms before the end of the farming season, packing and wrapping it and distributing it to the beneficiaries.