The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, MOCCAE, has commenced its yearly drive to provide financial and technical assistance to farmers in the UAE as part of its priority to encourage local farmers to switch to innovative, eco-friendly farming patterns and promote local agricultural production.

Every year, the ministry conducts a survey to identify the needs of farmers and understand the essential requirements to be supplied during the next cycle. The study helps the ministry ascertain the facilities necessary to guarantee food safety while ensuring the protection of natural resources. MOCCAE also oversees the provision of the supplies to UAE farmers at half price.

Speaking on the occasion, Sultan Alwan, Assistant Under-Secretary of the Regions Sector, said, "MOCCAE works relentlessly to support local agriculture and marketing of national agricultural products in order to implement the country's food diversity strategy. The ministry is committed to encouraging the adoption of modern agricultural practices, such as organic agriculture, and keen to eliminate the challenges farmers face in their work."

He also noted that as a result of a series of meetings with farmers in different regions during 2016 to study their actual requirements, MOCCAE will supply over 52 types of materials this year, indicating an increase of 40 percent on last year.

The distribution of agricultural materials and supplies for 2017 will begin during the second week of August. The materials include 9,500 tons of fertilizer, such as manure, hydroponic and organic fertilizer, as well as integrated pest management supplies, such as low-impact insecticides and fungicides that are environmentally safe and suitable for aquatic agriculture, protected and organic farming.

In addition, the ministry will distribute up to five million seeds of the most common crops suitable for both protected and organic farming, such as tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers. Materials for the construction of greenhouses, including polycarbonate sheets, thermal insulation and insect screens, hydroponic grow pads and cooling pads, and equipment such as irrigation pipes and pumps will also be available.