UAE Launches 400-Hectare Wheat Farm to Enhance Food Security Amid Supply Chain Disruptions
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has taken a significant step towards enhancing its food security by launching a 400-hectare wheat farm in Mleiha, Sharjah. The desert farm is hard to miss, with eight green circles that use desalinated water for irrigation, highlighting the country's commitment to addressing its lack of arable land. The UAE imports about 90% of its food, making it vulnerable to supply chain disruptions, which the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukraine-Russia war exacerbated. These events prompted the government to take action by launching the wheat farm in 2022. The Mleiha farm is expected to produce some 1,600 tonnes of wheat annually, which is a small but significant step towards achieving the country's long-term goal of increasing its farming industry. Khalifa Alteneiji, chairman of Sharjah's Department of Agriculture and Livestock, stated that the lack of arable land was the driving force behind the government's decision to initiate wheat farming. He add...