Horticulture Opportunities in UAE in COVID-19 Crisis
Covid-19 crisis brings new opportunities for Dutch greenhouse builders and those involved in providing vertical horticulture equipment in the UAE
Due to Covide-19 Crisis and the necessity to attempt food self-sufficiency, the UAE Cabinet has established the Emirate Council for Food Security (ECFS) to stimulate food security activities in the country. The aim is to develop new projects in line with the National UAE Food Security Strategy looking to creating 16.000 Job opportunities and increasing agricultural production by over 100,000 tonnes, achieving economic returns of some 5 billion euros and aligning the government’s efforts with the water security strategy.
In the framework of this strategy, four agriculture technology (AgTech) pioneers are nominated to build new facilities in Abu Dhabi dedicated to developing next generation agriculture in arid and desert agriculture.
Already in 2019, Abu Dhabi Investment Office, ADIO announced its 250 million euro AgTech incentive Ghadan 21 accelerator programme that is focusing on economic, knowledge and community development across the emirate. Now ADIO has partnered individually with AeroFarms, Madar Farms, RNZ and Responsive Drip Irrigation, RDI to establish new Food R&D and production facilities in the emirate, turning sand into farmland, solving complex global agriculture challenges and expanding the profile of local food producers.
ADIO will invest about 100 million euro in total in the four companies to build facilities in Abu Dhabi, each tasked with solving regional and global challenges. The investment office launched a targeted incentive programme in 2019 to accelerate the growth of the emirate’s burgeoning (AgTech) ecosystem and promote innovation that is locally relevant and globally exportable. If you are interested to offer your services, contact : bllawrie@adio.ae
AeroFarms will focus on next-generation genetic phenotyping and organoleptic research while also tackling the challenges of desert agriculture from its new 8,200-sqm R&D centre in Abu Dhabi. As part of 25 million euro AgTech investment by Abu Dhabi Investment Office ADIO. The center will be the largest indoor vertical farm of its kind in the world and will employ a projected 60 plus highly skilled engineers, horticulturists and scientists. The farm will include the following centres of excellence:
- Advanced organoleptic research and precision phenetyping laboratory.
- Advanced seed breeding centre
- Phytochemical analysis laboratory
- Machine vision and machine learning laboratory
- Robotics, automation and drones laboratory
AeroFarms will be partnering with major international companies, local universities and AgTech startups to help solve some of the most pressing agriculture needs. If you are interested you may contact info@aerofarms.com
Madar Farms, one example of the Dutch technology designed by the Dutch firm Certhon Greenhouse Solutions www.certhon.com , which installed more that 5,000 ultra-efficient green power LED by Signify Netherlands, Koppert Biological Control home-grown UAE AgTech innovator, It is the first commercial-scale indoor tomato farm using only LED lights in Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi, KIZAD. The company is also set to scale up the commercialisation of microgreen growing to help provide a consistent and predictable local food supply that responsibly uses the region’s natural resources. The firm is expected to use 30% less water per one KG of tomatoes compared to other greenhouses. The produce will be distributed across UAE, and help increase local production. www.madarfarms.com . If you are interested you may contact: info@madarfarms.co
RDI is developing an innovative irrigation system to transform water usage in UAE agriculture and conducting research trials to increase crop yields in sandy soils and non-arable land. While locally-based company RNZ Group will set up a state-of-the-art R&D centre to research, formulate and commercialise ‘agri-input’ solutions that will help to grow more with less. www.rnz-group.com
If you are interested you may contact : bllawrie@adio.ae
To date, ADIO has allocated approximately 40 per cent of the AgTech Incentive Programme funding in the first year of the three-year programme. The programme is open to local and international companies looking to establish and grow a presence in Abu Dhabi.
ADIO www.investinabudhabi.ae is an office under ADDED that attracts foreign direct investments, supports local investors via promotional efforts, and offers integrated services to current and prospective investors. In coordination with strategic partners from the public and private sectors, ADIO promotes investment opportunities across key sectors in line with Abu Dhabi’s Economic Vision 2030.
The Office provides comprehensive, credible and confidential services for foreign businesses: including consultations, notification of new investment projects and assistance with establishing companies in Abu Dhabi.
The Office also organises various investment promotion activities locally and internationally, to promote new business opportunities in Abu Dhabi.
The ADIO is a platform for promoting the emirate’s exciting investment opportunities and facilitating the investment journeys of economic players from around the world.
If you are interested in more details, mail to: RIY-LNV@minbuza.nl