Abu Dhabi government pushes vertical farm development plan

In order to develop high-tech agricultural facilities, the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) plans to invest a total of US$100 million in research funds in four agricultural technology companies, hoping to build the world's largest R&D vertical farm and more commercial farms. to solve the problem of local food production. ADIO's partners include AeroFarms, Madar Farms, RNZ, and RDI.

Among them, the American company AeroFarms will build an indoor vertical farm with an area of ??about 8,200 square meters in the local area, and will invest in research and development and commercialize local key crops. The manufacturer says its unique indoor vertical farming technology can save up to 95% of water compared to traditional farms, and it does not use pesticides at all.

And Madar Farms, a local agricultural technology company in the United Arab Emirates, will build a commercial-scale indoor tomato farm, and the lighting source will only use LED technology. Madar Farms is also committed to expanding its own micro-vegetable commercialization layout, economizing the use of Abu Dhabi's natural resources, and providing a self-sufficient local crop supply pipeline.

In addition, RDI mainly develops irrigation systems to support agricultural production and research, while RNZ plans to build a research and development center for the invention and commercialization of agricultural technology.

According to the Arab News, the Persian Gulf countries must import 80%-90% of their food to meet domestic demand, and the current outbreak of the new coronavirus has seriously affected the food supply chain, so this ADIO will solve the problem of local food supply. investment is inevitable.

Affected by the new crown epidemic, vertical farming has gradually become the focus of food production. Especially at present, many regions around the world are facing the problem of closing cities and countries, which highlights the importance of food self-sufficiency. At the same time, vertical farming is also expected to increase the demand for agricultural LEDs, as one of the main forces driving the overall LED market.