Abu Dhabi: While for visitors and participants, the sixth annual Liwa Date Festival, is a time to celebrate an important staple of UAE culture, for farmers and those involved in the date production process, it is much more than that.
The event is held under the patronage of Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, and is organised by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage.
"Every year, approximately 25 per cent of all palm trees in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi are destroyed by various insects that attack, feed on and destroy them. To help highlight this problem and the various ways it can be combated, we have set up a series of lectures throughout the festival," Tamer Badawi, regional date production specialist, Farmers' Services Centre (FSC) Abu Dhabi, said.
Support service
The FSC was established by the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA) to provide an extensive and improved agricultural extension and support service for farmers in the Western Region.
"Each lecture touched on a different topic, such as how to irrigate efficiently and how to protect palm trees from being destroyed by insects, such as the red palm weevil...and for each we had a good turnout and feedback by the farmers who asked to join our programme or asked for more information about what they could do," Badawi said.
The FSC also sends a team of experts to farms on random visits to check how they are being run and what can be done to improve it.
"Part of our overall plan includes regular visits to palm tree farms to make sure they are following the guidelines to ensure that not only is their output increasing but that their farms are efficient as well by raising awareness about different techniques to both the farmers and their employees," Badawi said. "Over 4,000 farms have already signed up to our programme since were established three months ago…we hope that number will increase by next year and that the farmers who have already joined will have managed to improve their farms," he added.
At a glance
- What: Liwa Date Festival
- When: Saturday, July 17 - Monday, July 26
- Time: 10am - 10pm
- Travel: Buses leave from Abu Dhabi Mall and Marina Mall at 9am. There are no other scheduled buses.
- Information: For schedules and further information, please contact 02-6576094 or visit www.liwadatesfestival.ae or http://www.adach.ae/en/
