UAE: Agriculture Investment Projects
Five investment projects worth AED 524 million have been approved by the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) for the establishment of fish, vegetable, fruit, cattle and poultry farms on a total land and sea area of approximately four million m2. Private sector agricultural companies will grow the investment opportunities found and managed in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) as part of ADAFSA’s efforts to increase agricultural projects and achieve sustainable agricultural production in Abu Dhabi. Two Musataha contracts have been negotiated with Aqua Fishers Company and Mirak Agricultural Services Company by ADAFSA.
At a total cost of AED 110 million, Aqua Fishers Company will develop a fish farm to produce 5000 tons of seabream, seabass, hamour, red snapper and shrimp. On a total area of 251.3 thousand m2, fishponds will be established at shore, while administrative offices, fish handling and manufacturing facilities and laboratories will be set up on a total land area of 156.9 thousand m2 and will be situated on Delma Island. The second Musataha agreement signed with Mirak Agricultural Services Company is to develop a vegetable and fruit production farm using advanced technologies for growing plants, including hydroponics, in regulated environments. The project also involves the establishment of refrigerated warehouses and a sanitation and freezing laboratory for goods covering an area of 1,28 million m2, at a total cost of AED 140 million. Alfafa Corporation, Al Nahdha Estate, and Emirates National Poultry Farms were awarded a further three projects. Using a drip irrigation system and the latest farming techniques, Alfafa Company will develop a farm to grow plants, including hybrid seeds.
The farm will be built on 481,5 thousand square meters of land, at a total cost of AED 38 million. In order to sell their meat locally, Al Nahdha Farm has obtained permission to develop a new farm for breeding calves. The project would increase the supply of calves for the farm from 3,500 to 20,000 heads and increase its production potential by 470%. As part of the estate, barns, administration buildings, a clinic and workers housing will be constructed on an area of over 491,4 thousand square meters, at a total cost of AED 86 million. Although Emirates National Poultry Farms obtained the approval of ADAFSA for the establishment in the Al Dhafra area of a poultry farm and slaughterhouse with a production capacity of 30,000 birds per day. The poultry farm will be constructed on 1.45 million square meters of land, while the slaughterhouse will be built on another 90,000 square meters of land, at a combined cost of AED 150 million. ADAFSA Director-General Saeed Al Bahri Salem Alameri shared his eagerness to improve coordination with national private sector firms. Alameri suggested that ADAFSA has developed a policy aimed at creating attractive investment prospects in the agriculture and food sectors, attracting partners and investors to the investment opportunities available in Abu Dhabi, encouraging local investment, establishing partnerships with venture funds, investors and the private sector in the areas in which it works, and maintaining coordination with those investments.
