UAE farm breaks new ground in marketing fresh produce

The Naswa Organic Farm situated on the Hatta roads grow up to 65 types of vegetables
and herbs that are sold in it's shop of the same name in Umm Suqueim.


Rashid Ahmad Bin Fahd (left) and Abdullah Bel Habb during the opening of the store.


Published: 00:00 April 14, 2010

Dubai: Organic fruit and vegetables cannot get fresher than this. Everyday new produce arrives to fill the shelves of a small family-run shop which has been cultivating organic fruits and vegetables for 10 years.

The Naswa Organic Farm situated on the Hatta road grows up to 65 types of vegetables and herbs that are then sold in its shop of the same name in Umm Suqueim. The concept of the shop is that nothing is stored and due to the relatively low quantities produced, it flies off the shelves.

Organic farming has been a growing trend in the UAE over the last few years, and this is the newest shop to open its doors. The only difference is the produce is all grown in the UAE and is sold straight from the farm to consumer.

Rashid Ahmad Bin Fahd, Minister of Environment and Water, officially opened the shop last night. Organic farms in the UAE are certified by the ministry after inspections are carried out on the produce and the soil it is grown in. Around 10 farms are certified in the UAE.

"We've been certified organic since September and the concept is that we don't keep anything. We sell everything and the next morning we start all over again," said Elena Kinane, general manager of the shop and business partner of Abdullah Bel Habb, who started the farm a decade ago.

"If we were to stock supermarkets with the produce it would take three days to get to the shelves. That's too long and the vegetables would spoil. This way it's always fresh and we sell direct to the local community," said Kinane.

"We're 100 per cent chemical free and have better standards than European standards."

Naswa Organic Farm produce from organic seeds acquired from Germany and more organic fruits and vegetables are being added every month.

"We have strawberries now and soon we will have melons and herbs. We're looking at starting organic eggs," said Kinane. After the summer, selected customers will be offered to tour the farm.

http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/environment/uae-farm-breaks-new-ground-in-marketing-fresh-produce-1.612011