ABU DHABI (WAM)
In celebration of Arab Palm Day, observed annually on September 15, the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) has reiterated its ongoing commitment to supporting the palm sector and date production in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
This aligns with its broader efforts to enhance food security and ensure the sustainability of natural resources.
ADAFSA announced that it implements a comprehensive strategy aimed at protecting palm farms from pests and diseases, improving production quality, and encouraging farmers to adopt sustainable agricultural practices.
As part of this strategy, extensive campaigns to combat palm tree pests were carried out across more than 6.5 million palm trees throughout the Emirate in 2024.
Specialist teams successfully eradicated thousands of harmful insects, such as the red palm weevil and stem borer, contributing to crop protection, and increased productivity.
ADAFSA also implements an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programme for palm trees, focusing on environmentally safe techniques to minimise pest impact and reduce indiscriminate use of pesticides, thus preserving the environment and promoting sustainable agriculture.
This programme involves treating palms infested with various pests, such as the red palm weevil and stem borer, and removing severely damaged trees.
Monitoring is conducted using pheromone and light traps to attract and control pests and limit their spread.
In addition, ADAFSA has treated over two million palm trees, since the beginning of this year, as part of the fight against blight and dust mites under the IPM programme, which has contributed to controlling agricultural pests and reducing pesticide use.
Alongside pest control efforts, ADAFSA has launched a series of educational programmes for farmers, including lectures, workshops, and field events aimed at disseminating the latest techniques and best practices in palm cultivation and date production.
The authority has also organised specialised festivals and exhibitions to support this vital sector and encourage farmers to transition to organic farming and adopt environmentally friendly practices.
Since the beginning of 2024, the Authority has organised more than 17 awareness sessions for farmers.
These sessions were conducted through various channels, such as community councils, virtual lectures, educational videos, and awareness leaflets shared on social media platforms.
ADAFSA also participated in local festivals, which many farmers benefited from, and carried out field visits to farms.
During these visits, ADAFSA's agricultural engineers and extension specialists provided guidance on maintaining pheromone and light traps, essential tools in pest prevention and control.
Currently, over 125,000 pheromone traps and more than 21,000 light traps are installed across farms in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
These traps attract pests in an environmentally safe manner, reducing the need for chemical pesticides.
In the first half of this year alone, these traps attracted nearly half a million pests, including the red palm weevil and stem and frond borers—key threats to palm trees.
ADAFSA encourages farmers in Abu Dhabi to care for their palm trees and date production in line with Abu Dhabi’s vision of sustainable agricultural development.
The Authority highlighted that following good agricultural practices, both pre- and post-harvest, significantly increases the market value of farmers' dates.
ADAFSA also focuses on developing research programmes in palm cultivation and date production.
These initiatives include evaluating the productivity of the Nghal palm variety across different geographic areas of Abu Dhabi and studying the impact of using pollen from various male palm trees on date yield and quality.
These studies aim to adopt the best practices and technologies to enhance the palm and date sector.
Additionally, ADAFSA actively participates in palm-related exhibitions and festivals, especially the Liwa Date Festival, to support cultural heritage events that promote palm cultivation.
The Authority provides technical assistance through its involvement in the date competition judging panel and educates farmers on best practices for palm care.
ADAFSA also participates in various international festivals dedicated to palm and date production.
By prioritising sustainable agricultural practices and investing in research and development, ADAFSA is ensuring the long-term viability of the palm cultivation sector and contributing to the UAE's food security goals.