Our support for 100 local farms increased their sales by 10%

“Sharjah Cooperative” revealed that it has supported more than 100 local productive farms across the country over the past years, and confirmed, on the sidelines of hosting the fifth Farmers’ Forum “Plant in the Emirates,” yesterday, that it allocated more than 1,000 square meters to display local farm products, which raised sales of those products. Farms increased by 10% during previous years.

For their part, officials said in press statements on the sidelines of the forum, which witnessed the participation of more than 100 senior citizens who own national farms, the participation of the Emirates Development Bank, and representatives of the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, that local farm products are witnessing growth in production and supply operations to markets. .

The CEO of Sharjah Cooperative, Majid Salem Al Junaid, said, “The forum aims to develop the local production system, encourage reliance on local resources, and emphasize the role of Sharjah Cooperative in supporting local farms, by marketing their products and giving them priority in sales and marketing.” “In addition to facilitating the procedures for registering farms and the supply mechanism.”

For his part, the Executive Director of the Supply Chain Sector at Sharjah Cooperative, Rashid bin Huwaiden, said, “The forum aims to support national farmers, highlight their efforts, help them display their agricultural crops, and contribute to their sale and marketing. It also represents a platform to bring farmers together in a place One, which allows them to exchange ideas and experiences that will develop the agricultural sector.”

He pointed out that the Sharjah Cooperative has, over the past years, made it possible to support more than 100 local productive farms nationwide, including organic farms, hydroponic farms, and sustainable agriculture farms, by displaying and marketing its products in its 52 branches in the Emirate of Sharjah, and giving them priority in areas Display in all branches, as more than 1,000 square meters were allocated as a total area in the cooperative’s branches to display its products, which had a positive impact on sales of local agricultural products, as It increased by 10% over the previous years.

In the same context, the Emirates Development Bank said on the sidelines of the forum that it is providing the agricultural technology financing program, the first of its kind in the country, to support national food security, by allocating a financial portfolio worth 100 million dirhams to finance local farms and farmers, in a way that enhances the sustainability of food sources in the country. .

As for the director of the “EGRIX” accelerator program to support agricultural projects, Joseph Makhlouf, he said, “The program aims to increase reliance on modern technical means that support increasing the productivity and efficiency of farms, and develop farmers’ skills by providing the necessary training, and facilitating farmers’ access to markets to promote their products, especially Through various partnerships with sales outlets.”

For his part, the Director of Marketing and Public Relations at Sharjah Cooperative, Faisal Khalid Al Nabouda, said, “The cooperative has increased the number of varieties supplied to it from local farms to reach more than 300 varieties now, compared to about 220 varieties during the first quarter of last year. It increased the number of farms that supply their products to the cooperative’s branches to more than 100 local farms, an increase of about 8% compared to the first quarter of last year.

He pointed out that the quantities of organic agricultural varieties supplied from national farms increased by more than 30% compared to January 2024.

Food security

Professor at the University of Sharjah, Dr. Ali Al-Qiblawi, said, “The university has launched innovative solutions to support the sustainability of desert agriculture, through biological fertilizers, using smart irrigation techniques, and converting agricultural waste into organic fertilizer, to improve the soil structure and increase its ability to retain water.”