The AgriTech Sector Development Team – a newly established team comprising public and private-sector stakeholders from the UAE’s growing agricultural technology sector – are exploring proposed interventions to promote the adoption of technology in agricultural sub-sectors.
Led by Her Excellency Mariam Almheiri, Minister of State for Food and Water Security, the workshop began with an overview of the progress made by the team, till date, which includes studying international best practices; an in-depth situation analysis of the local agriculture sector; recommended solutions and potential outcomes, and the filing of first and second progress reports to the Cabinet. On the agenda for August, the Committee is set to prioritise setting policies, legislations, and regulations, in addition to preparing and submitting the final report.
The proposed interventions are to promote the adoption of technology in five sectors: aquaculture, fruits and vegetables, dairy and poultry, livestock, and industry and grains. All interventions must adhere to two key criteria: they must cover all stages of the supply chain that are facing challenges or obstacles that limit the adoption of technology, and they must undergo quantitative evaluation by addressing the gap against produce cost and imports, and measuring the improvement in the competitiveness of the local produce.
Among the many interventions proposed during the workshop, a few stood out, namely creating AgTech Clusters, comprising dedicated zones that provide an abundance of space for implementing advanced agricultural technologies. Other notable suggestions included low-credit financing and funding mechanism; providing easy, safe and secure access over AgTech inputs using a one-stop-shop licensing service; enhancing access over utility services, products and tariffs; and implementing quality standards.
The AgriTech Sector Development Team brings together representatives from the government and private sectors to brainstorm ways to promote the use of advanced technologies in the agriculture sector, with the objective of ensuring food security for current and future generations in the UAE.