The Farms

The agriculture sector in the UAE has undergone many changes. The challenge is to conduct agriculture with minimal water. Modern irrigation systems and hydroponics are being increasingly engaged and farmers are switching to organic farming.  The number of farms increased from 4,000 in 1971 to 35,704 in 2011, with an area of 105,257 hectares most of which are date plantations.

The date palm includes more than 1,500 varieties. It’s one of the oldest fruit trees, and said to have sprouted more than ten thousand years ago. Its origin is unknown, but the belief is that it’s cultivation may have started in the east of the Arabian Peninsula, including UAE, back to 4000 years BC, before spreading to other parts of the world.

The UAE has the largest number of date palms for any single country in the world. It has over 40 million date palm trees, making it the world’s 4th largest date producer, accounting for 12% of the world’s production.