Healthy farming

The sale of organic produce in the UAE has in the past been unstable with some supermarkets reporting decreased sales while specialty stores have opened their doors.

Gulf News reported earlier this year that demand was growing for organic and 'safe' foods regardless of stunted sales, according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation.

Despite a slow uptake in the trend, organic produce is more widely farmed in the UAE with 10 farms now producing mainly vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers, courgettes or herbs, as well as dates.

Even though organic produce remains appealing to a niche market more and more people are now aware of the difference and opt for a selection of their vegetables to be organic.

Earnings

According to the Ministry of Environment and Water, the regulatory body for organic produce in the UAE, there are 10 organic farms in the UAE today.

The largest is a date palm farm with over 60,000 trees while some are private farms where anything grown is used for personal consumption. The rest supply a handful of supermarkets.

One Emirati farmer has opened his own store.

"There is a high chance that organic farmers will do well. Their earnings will be better than they have been but we need more awareness," said Dr Riad Obaidi from the Organic Farming Unit at the Ministry of Environment and Water, in May when only five farms were certified to carry on operations.

Today the process is quickly progressing with more farmers wanting to turn their land into an organic haven.

Although the initial conversion from non organic to organic land can be difficult, farmers have not been undeterred.

"All farmers create their own compost heaps now and use it as natural fertiliser instead of buying or using chemical fertiliser," said Obaidi.

Pointing to a 4 metre high compost heap on Bujsaim Farm in Al Khawaneej, he added, "This amount would cost Dh20,000, but instead he made it himself."