Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) is now regulating small-scale plant production farms with a new decision. The ADAFSA No. (3) of 2020 decision by the Chairman of the Board of Directors, which established the Agricultural Requirements System for the Farms of Abu Dhabi, is supplemented by this decision.
Achieving sustainable agricultural growth and controlling the practice of plant production in small-scale farms are the goals of this decision. This will be accomplished by preserving the farms’ natural resources sustainably, raising farmer incomes, and promoting regional produce, all of which will boost the emirate’s food security system.
The decision establishes precise guidelines for the cultivation of plants on farms, which helps to raise the standard and competitiveness of regional agricultural goods in the marketplace. This will contribute to raising agriculture’s return on investment.
The ruling enhances local product marketing prospects and gives smallholders a defined regulatory framework for plant production. Additionally, it supports farmers with technical and training assistance and promotes the use of regional goods, all of which help to advance the agricultural industry.
The ruling establishes guidelines and limitations for small farmers’ use of plant production. These include getting legal permission before establishing packing houses and keeping the farm and its infrastructure hygienic in general. The choice also mandates that plant products be processed using ingredients that have been approved for use in food.
Eng Ahmed Khalid Othman, Executive Director of the Agricultural Affairs Sector at ADAFSA, said that, “This decision reaffirms the Abu Dhabi Government’s commitment to supporting smallholder farmers and providing a working environment that supports their efforts to achieve sustainable development in the agricultural sector in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and enhance food security”.
It also controls how the farm’s trade name may be used, how agricultural operations performed on the plant product are documented, and how documents indicating the amount of production that has been disposed of can be provided. To guarantee the identification of the plant product, a traceability system must be established.