This year’s Abu Dhabi date harvest is expected to match last season’s 14,000 kilograms, giving farmers a boost ahead of the key retail period after Eid.
The produce is an important extra source of revenue for farmers and the Government’s Abu Dhabi Farmers’ Services Centre (ADFSC) will market the fresh dates – or rutab – under the Local Harvest brand at retailers around the UAE.
“A total of 14,859kg of rutab dates were collected by ADFSC and sold by Local Harvest from farms in Abu Dhabi in 2013,” said Chris Hirst, the chief executive of ADFSC.
“This year we expect to collect a similar amount as last year from the farms, about 600kg daily. The summer harvest season runs from June 25 to August 15 and our dates are in the shops two weeks before those from Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Oman.”
The fresh dates have a different taste and texture from dried dates, similar to a nectarine or a plum.
The ADFSC began marketing the fresh dates in 2012 after it started training farmers to use better farming methods in 2009. The education and training programmes have increased the yield of the crops and the quality of the fruit produced. The ADFSC has introduced stringent size and quality control stipulations to enhance the farming practices and products.
Farmers usually have a contract with Abu Dhabi-based Al Foah, the largest date company in the world, for their dried date produce. Under the ADFSC scheme, farmers meet the supply requirements with Al Foah and sell the surplus yield to ADFSC, which then packages the produce and distributes it to local supermarkets. The fresh dates can also be bought loose from Spinneys, Carrefour, Geant, Choitrams, Souq and Lulu.
“The dates are popular with Emiratis, who often receive the rutab date as a gift from families with farms,” says Mr Hirst. “However in retailers it is more common to see the local dried dates. Hopefully through time this will increase with awareness and once people have tasted them. They are competitively priced at Dh11 per kg for the retailer and there is a wide variety of dates offered, including Birhi, Naghal, Khinaizi, Sukkari, Shishi, Khalas, Abu maan, Suggi’i, Lulu and Hilali.”
Local Harvest packs and distributes a variety of fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy and honey products, all grown in Abu Dhabi.
ascott@thenational.ae
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