Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi now has a new farmers’ market at Mina Zayed that aims to promote local produce.
The Mina Zayed Wholesale Farmers’ Market will welcome shoppers every day between 1pm and 10pm, and run from February till May each year. It houses 13 shops with room for 20 local farmers, with the capacity to accommodate 20 tonnes of agricultural produce on a daily basis. The market will cater to wholesalers, retailers and consumers looking for medium to large quantities of local produce.
A video clip from the opening released by the Abu Dhabi Government Media Office shows tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, strawberries, and carrots on sale at the market.
The market is sponsored by Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (Adafsa) and managed by Silal, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi-based holding company Silal.
Saeed Salem Al Ameri, Adafsa’s director-general, said that the farmers’ markets initiative has garnered significant interest and backing from Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Office, and Chairman of the Adafsa board of directors. The initiative aligns with his commitment to advancing the agricultural sector, increasing farmers’ income, and boosting the competitiveness of local produce, Al Ameri added.
Local produce
According to the official, the new farmers’ market will allow farmers to connect directly with retailers, thus enabling them to obtain a fair price for their products. In turn, consumers will benefit from access to fresh and high-quality local products at a reasonable cost. The market also supports internal trade and the local economy by providing wholesalers and retailers with direct access to daily farm production that is sourced directly from Abu Dhabi farms.
Salmeen Al Ameri, Silal’s CEO, said the new market is another initiative to support local farmers, following the success of Al Wathba Farmers’ Market. He further explained that Silal has been at the forefront of executing the leadership’s directives to promote and empower local farmers. The new market will also benefit from its strategic location at Mina Zayed, which is known to be a hub for buyers, wholesalers and retailers, he added.
