Make a date for next year's UAE date festival
After successful Liwa Festival, make a date for next year
Mezirah: The Western Region is prepared to receive date palm farmers from all over the UAE to take part in the Liwa Festival next year, said a top official.
Shaikh Mohammad Bin Butti Al Hamed, Abu Dhabi Ruler's Representative in the Western Region, told reporters the region will be prepared to receive farmers from all over the UAE to take part in all functions and activities of the festival.
General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, ordered for the door to be open to all farmers in the UAE to take part in the festival when he visited the festival location last Friday.
Beauty competition
Mizayne Al Ratab (a date beauty competition) which was the main feature of the festival was open only for dates produced on farms owned by nationals in Abu Dhabi emirate.
Al Hamed rewarded winners in the eight competition categories on the closing night of the festival on Saturday.
Rashid Faraj Al Mansouri won first prize for the largest date branch which weighed 82kg breaking last year's record (64kg).
More than 4,000 farmers took part in the competition for the best type of various dates, in addition to the ideal farm.
Competitors in the best display category showed great talent in showcasing the traditional lifestyle of the UAE.
In every category ten to twenty winners were rewarded cash prizes totalling about Dh4 million, first winners in each category were given four-wheel drives.
"Dates this year were of a very high quality compared with last year," said Dr Hassan Shabana, member of the judging committee. "The number of competitors is increasing and the quality of production is improving too," he added.
Dr Shabana examined the dates to check whether they were produced without chemicals or pesticides.
Shaikh Abdullah Bin Mohammad Bin Khalid Al Nahyan offered Dh100,000 to Mohammad Mutar Al Mansouri, winner of the traditional puzzle.
Also Shaikh Abdullah supported the daily auction of dates by buying 83 baskets of dates for Dh61,000 and another day he bought 53 baskets for Dh160,000.
WAM reports Mohammad Atiq Al Hamili bought 810 basketfuls of dates for Dh1 million to encourage local date growers.
Interest: More dates grown
UAE production of dates has risen since last year, said an expert.
Mohammad Ganem Al Mansouri, director of external relations and marketing for the Al Foah Company, told Gulf News that "so far we have received 75,000 tonnes of dates and we are expecting to reach 85,000 tonnes by the end of the year".
In 2006 production was 68,000 tonnes, according to Al Mansouri.
