ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)
The inaugural Local Aquaculture Products Festival is underway until 19 January 2024 at the Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Agricultural Excellence Award Pavilion at Sheikh Zayed Festival in Al Wathba.
The festival involves a broad spectrum of aquaculture farms in the UAE, showcasing a variety of their products. It will also showcase the latest technologies and techniques employed to increase production quantities and enhance quality to the highest global standards.
The festival aims to bolster local aquaculture products by promoting them on a wider scale, building consumer confidence, demonstrating the significant economic returns from investing in this sector, and inspiring farm owners by presenting new and innovative marketing opportunities for their products.
The festival provides an opportunity to share experiences and knowledge in developing the aquaculture sector and increasing its productivity. This is important given its growing importance as a key pillar of the UAE's food security system, especially in terms of fish, of which the UAE imports around 70 per cent annually.
The festival offers a family-friendly environment with entertainment and activities for visitors of all ages. Visitors will have the opportunity to attend various workshops and live presentations on the UAE's aquaculture sector. There will also be cooking shows featuring local seafood dishes which will be available for the public to sample.
The festival's organising committee affirmed that the UAE is well positioned to emerge as a regional hub for diverse aquaculture, capitalising on scientific research and the adoption of modern technology.
The festival will feature daily competitions, including best seafood dish produced by UAE's aquaculture farms, livestock competitions for the best breeds, livestock auctions and daily competitions for the public with prizes and gifts.
The Local Aquaculture Products Festival is one of the most prominent and diverse festivals organised by the Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Agricultural Excellence Award as part of its participation in the Sheikh Zayed Festival in Al Wathba. These include the Fig Festival, the Strawberry Festival, the Sidr Fruit Festival, Al Wathba Honey Festival, Traditional Foods for Productive Families Festival, the Agricultural Production Inputs Festival, the Factory Dairy Products Festival, and the Maize and Potato Festival.