Today's Edition
ABU DHABI (WAM)
Al Wathba Honey Festival, one of the festivals associated with the Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Award for Agricultural Excellence, continues in its first edition until February 8 in the award pavilion at the Sheikh Zayed Festival in Al Wathba, Abu Dhabi.
The festival aims to support local beekeepers and honey producers, enhance their skills and keep them abreast of the latest innovations, modern technologies and best practices in beekeeping and honey production. It also aims to promote the products of Emirati beekeepers and acquaint the public with the benefits of Emirati honey and its unique characteristics.
The festival features six competitions for beekeepers and local honey producers: the best Sidr liquid honey, the best Samar liquid honey, the best crystallised honey, the best Sidr honeycomb and the best Sidr honeycomb for wild bees.
The first three winners in each category will receive substantial cash prizes, estimated at around Dh270,000, with additional non-cash prizes and shields for the fourth and fifth place winners in each competition.
More than 60 beekeepers and companies involved in beekeeping and honey production are participating in the event, displaying their honey, bee products and modern beekeeping equipment.
The festival includes workshops, seminars on bee-related topics and live shows related to beekeeping and honey production in the UAE, to promote this vital sector. Beekeeping and honey production are integral aspects of sustainable agricultural development that support the UAE's food security system and the environmental importance of beekeeping in contributing to the pollination process associated with the reproduction of plants and trees.
The Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council (ADQCC), in collaboration with ADAFSA, will participate in the evaluation of the competitions. ADQCC will provide laboratory testing services for honey samples submitted by local producers to verify the quality of honey and assist the jury in selecting high quality honey.
Dr. Mariam Hareb Al Suwaidi, Chairman of the Supreme Committee of the Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Agricultural Excellence Award and Deputy Director-General of the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority for Operational Affairs, explained that the festival is an important promotional and marketing platform for Emirati honey.
The festival also facilitates commercial exchanges between Emirati producers and local and international traders, in line with the overall objectives of the Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Agricultural Excellence Award.
The festival offers various heritage, cultural and recreational events for all ages. In addition, daily competitions are organised for the public, with the distribution of various prizes and valuable gifts.
On his part, Abdullah Al Muaini, Executive Director of the Central Laboratory Sector at ADQCC, expressed his satisfaction with the laboratories' involvement in the Al Wathba Honey Festival and the productive collaboration with ADAFSA. He highlighted that ADQCC is dedicated to delivering distinguished inspection services to ensure the quality of agricultural and food products in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
