Sharjah highlights UAE food security success as local food production grows

SHARJAH: Sharjah officials said the UAE’s food security system is showing strong results, with enough food reserves for up to six months and more local food production planned in the coming years.

Dr. Khalifa Musabah Al Tunaiji, Chairman of the Department of Agriculture and Livestock and CEO of the Production Establishment (EKTIFA), said the UAE has built a successful food security system. He explained that Sharjah’s agriculture and food work is part of a bigger national plan led by the Emirates Food Security Council.

He said the department works closely with the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, the Ministry of Economy and Tourism, and the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment. This teamwork helps the UAE manage its food reserves and stay ready for any emergency.

In remarks to the Emirates News Agency (WAM), Al Tunaiji said the UAE has already shown its strength during difficult times such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine crisis, and droughts in countries that supply food. He said the country now has enough food and animal feed reserves to last up to six months. This gives the UAE a strong safety net if there is any sudden problem in global supply chains.

Al Tunaiji said EKTIFA is now working at full capacity to support the local market. Milk production has reached 130,000 litres per day, and the target is to raise it to 300,000 litres per day by 2029. At that level, it would be able to serve more than one million people. He added that poultry production currently stands at 7,000 birds per day. The plan is to increase this to 16,000 birds per day, and later to between 25,000 and 26,000 birds daily.

He said this expansion comes under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah. More land has also been set aside to support future growth in production.

For fruits and vegetables, Al Tunaiji said the department supplies local markets every day through Gheras farms, which provide fresh seasonal produce. He also said the department plans to launch 140 food products in local markets during this year and next year. These products will help support the UAE’s food production chain and increase local choices for consumers.

The new items will include dairy products, cheese, butter, animal fats, and different baked goods. He said the project follows the Sharjah Ruler’s vision of replacing hydrogenated vegetable oils with natural animal-based fats in food production. Al Tunaiji added that EKTIFA’s organic products are priced in a competitive way so more people can afford them.

Among the new products in development is high-protein milk for athletes. He said it contains 43 percent natural protein, compared with 34 percent in similar products now sold in the market. Greek yoghurt is also expected to be introduced. He said work is also under way to build factories for cheese, butter, ghee, ketchup, tomato paste, and fruit jam. According to him, all production inputs come from within the EKTIFA system, which supports a circular economy and helps maintain high nutritional value.

Al Tunaiji said the slaughterhouse and poultry processing plant are in the final stages and are expected to begin operations by the end of May. He added that the animal feed factory is also nearly complete. He also spoke about the Hasad project, a joint effort between the department and local farmers. The project focuses on contract farming to better organize agricultural production and market supply, avoid oversupply, and make sure farmers receive fair prices.

This latest push from Sharjah supports the UAE’s wider food security goals and aims to strengthen local production, protect supply chains, and keep essential food items available for residents across the country.