Liwa: The 18th Liwa Date Festival witnessed strong competition among the producers of Ratab Al Khalas (half-ripe) dates (open category) and Ratab Al Khalas dates for farms in Al Ain region category.
The festival will continue tomorrow, in Liwa, Al Dhafra, under the patronage of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court, and organised by the Cultural Programmes and Heritage Festivals Committee — Abu Dhabi.
The winners were announced in a ceremony attended by Issa Saif Al Mazrouei, deputy-chairman of the Cultural Programmes and Heritage Festivals Committee — Abu Dhabi, Obaid Khalfan Al Mazrouei, festival director, and Mubarak Ali Al Qusaili Al Mansouri, date retailer at the Festival.
The festival’s organising committee allocated 25 prizes worth Dh446,000 for Ratab Al Khalas retailers (open), as well as 25 prizes worth Dh446,000 for Ratab Al Khalas from the Al Ain region.
Several officials visited the festival to explore the date competitions, where they were briefed by Al Mazrouei about the festival. They also visited the festival’s various pavilions and sections, including the committee’s pavilion.
Alternative markets and additional channels for buying excess dates were recently announced to help date farmers and producers enter local and international markets to sell their products.
