The award’s total value is AED6.7 million, and it will be presented across three main categories, namely Outstanding Farmer and Breeder, Agricultural Innovation, and Commercial Farms.
The Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Award for Agricultural Excellence has been launched by the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) to recognise outstanding farmers and livestock breeders in the UAE.
The annual award promotes agricultural innovation and encourages farm owners to adopt best practices and modern farming systems, thus achieving sustainable agriculture development.
The award’s total value is AED6.7 million, and it will be presented across three main categories, namely Outstanding Farmer and Breeder, Agricultural Innovation, and Commercial Farms.
Some 56 shortlisted nominees, including beekeepers and owners of productive, aquatic and commercial farms, will compete for recognition.
Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of the Presidential Court, and Chairman of ADAFSA, said the award supports the implementation of the vision of President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed and promotes the UAE’s position in the agricultural sector.
He added that the award encourages farmers, breeders and commercial farm owners to adopt global practices, to improve and instil innovation in the agricultural sector. It will contribute to increasing agricultural production and enhancing food security.
To promote the award objectives, various accompanying events will be organised in conjunction with the activities of the Sheikh Zayed Festival, including competitions for date producers and productive families, a weekly livestock auction, and competitions to motivate livestock breeders to acquire the best breeds. This supports the directions of the Abu Dhabi Government and ADAFSA to develop food security systems and achieve agricultural sustainability.
The award features three main categories. The Outstanding Farmer and Breeder Category covers eight sub-categories. Four awards will be given to crop production-related sub-categories, including the Best Farm in Open Field Cultivation, the Best Farm in Greenhouse Cultivation, the Best Farm in Fruit Production, and the Best Organic Farm. The other four awards will be given to animal production-related sub-categories, including Productive Farms, Small-Scale Producers (broiler breeding), Beekeepers, and Aquatic Farms.
The Agricultural Innovation Category features two awards, the first for crop production and the other for animal production. Meanwhile, the Commercial Farms Category features two awards, one for commercial animal production and the other for commercial crop production.
Applications for the award are invited and can be made through the award official website. The application process will close on 31st December 2022, when the technical and field evaluation process will begin based on the criteria set by the award technical committee. This is followed by the process of approving the evaluation results and announcing shortlisted nominees for the final stage. The award winners will be recognised in a prestigious closing ceremony attended by several high-profile persons and all participants.
