DUBAI: The UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment has announced a new initiative to increase the efficiency of agricultural advisory services, state news agency WAM reported on Sunday.
The program is part of the UAE's wider efforts to improve agricultural production and strengthen national food security.
It aims to improve the professional skills and capabilities of agricultural agents, equipping them with tools to effectively transfer technology and share modern farming techniques, thereby increasing productivity.
The program includes special training in areas such as soil and irrigation, crop and vegetable production, fruit production, pest prevention and control, and bee and honey production, WAM added.
It also includes lectures and workshops to improve the skills of agricultural agents, alongside field courses that provide practical application of theoretical knowledge, improve communication skills and increase confidence.
“The agricultural extension efficiency improvement program comes as part of our ongoing commitment to support the sustainability of national farms in the UAE, aimed at strengthening and growing the sector in the future,” said Mohammed Salman Al-Hammadi, deputy undersecretary of the diversity sector food. at the ministry.
He added: “The program aims to develop a specialized pathway for all agricultural extension agents covering the main areas in the sector. Through this, we seek to build agricultural extension capacity and competence, which in turn would help improve local agricultural production and support the transformation of national food systems into more sustainable ones.”
The program also involves the development of an annual agricultural orientation plan, which will monitor and support farmers in improving agricultural production and protecting crops from pests.
It will include a calendar for tree-related service operations and crop seasons for each crop, with a focus on date palm, fruit, vegetable, fodder and honey production. Operations will also cover irrigation, fertilization and land reclamation.
The program will also prepare technical reports and advisory farm visit reports, including data analysis, recommendations and documentation of results to ensure continuous improvement and respond to farmers' needs.
Al-Hammadi stressed the importance of improved communication between agricultural agents and farmers, with plans for regular farm visits and meetings to discuss challenges. The initiative aims to improve crop yields, set clear standards and objectives for agricultural extension programs and ultimately increase farmer satisfaction.
