UEA: Skyscraper farming in the UAE: Less water, more food
Latest vertical farming techniques skip pesticides, allow for year-round harvest
Jay Hilotin, Senior Assistant Editor
Gulf News
August 17, 2020
Excerpts:
LED lights illuminate fresh sprouts at Badia Farms in Al Quoz, Dubai. The UAE has invested in building and operating some of the world’s largest vertical farming facilities to drive food self-sufficiency. Badia Farms’s facility at the Dubai Industrial City spans an area of 50,000 square feet. It has the capacity to produce 3,500kg of fruits and vegetables on a daily basis.
“Urban farming is the future of the world,” says Mustafa Moiz, MD of UNS Hydroponic Farms in Dubai. The farm temperature is maintained under 24 degree Celsius, the PH level is maintained at 5.80 and carbon dioxide is maintained is at 600 ppm. All of which is controlled and maintained by an automated control panel that checks optimum PH, temperature, nutrient target and humidity.
