Al Foha to increase date output

Abu Dhabi: Al Foha Company, the country's largest date processing firm, on Monday unveiled its new plans of expansion aimed at increasing its annual production by 22,000 tons a year in 2007.

During a presentation to unveil the new plans of the company, which was established under a mandate from the Abu Dhabi Government, Dr Karim Moyeldin Said, the chief executive officer of the firm, said there would be more than 700 new staff employed to ensure the receiving of unprocessed dates goes more quickly.

Optimisation

"The plan includes increasing factory dates throughput from 33,000 to 55,000 a year. This will be achieved through better capacity utlilisation, increasing cold storage and racking capacity, fumigation capacity, as well as new and faster washing lines and an over opitmisation of process. This is essential so as to get more value out of the received dates, which are over 70,000 tons," Dr Said said.

He also said the action plan of the company, which operates both Emirates Dates Factory in Al Sa'ad and Al Dhafra Dates Factory in Al Mirfa, includes the consolidation and upgrading of the receiving centres. He said upgraded centres will open next month.

He said number of centres will be reduced from over 20 to eight initially and will be further reduced to four in 2007.

"The other developments in the action plan include improved date collection, better utlilisation of received dates and more profitable factories.