Cash loan boost for hydroponics farmers

"This technology uses 80 per cent less water, less pesticides and less fertiliser than traditional farming," said Yousri Kabil, an engineer at the protected agriculture unit of the Farmers Services Centre, an Abu Dhabi government body that aims to modernise the emirate's farms. Farmers in Al Gharbia have slowly been converting to hydroponics - which allows them to grow fruit and vegetables using less water and energy and are now being offered loans to help them make the switch. Yafour Al Hameli shows some of the tomatoes he is growing on his farm using his new hydroponics system. The centre plans to install the system in farms in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain before the end of the year to produce leafy vegetables and forage crops. Farmers are keen on it and we want to encourage hydroponics on all Abu Dhabi farms, to be able to produce food all year round. For the past year and a half, Mr Al Hameli has been growing almost 30 tonnes of tomatoes and peppers a year in soil in his six greenhouses. The Khalifa Fund is a government organisation that helps develop Abu Dhabi businesses. Two Emirati farmers in the Western Region are setting up closed hydroponics farms which will save up to 60 to 80 per cent of water used for irrigation, compared to conventional agriculture. Since the hydroponics system does not involve soil, it involves a wide variety of growing media, such as perlite, gravel, peat, sand, rock wool and others. ADFSC is supporting the demonstration of hydroponics farms of two Emirati farmers in the Western Region, who grow vegetables such as tomatoes, capsicum and cucumber throughout the year, including summer. Hydroponics is a method of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions in water, without soil.