Region's Agriculture Industry Under the Spotlight This Week in Dubai

Dubai, UAE, 6 March 2018:   Under the patronage of the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment AgraME, which opens tomorrow (6 March) at the Dubai World Trade Centre, is set to attract buyers, both locally and internationally, looking to source the latest products and innovative solutions. 

Offering a complete end to end solution of products and services, the show has a renewed focus on the Crop Farming, Animal Farming, Aquaculture and Animal Health sectors with a supporting free-to-attend content agenda. All four show verticals are in growing markets, with the MENA aquaculture industry expected to witness production volumes of 2.9 million tons by 2030 and the global animal healthcare market is expected to grow to USD 32.04 billion during the period 2018-2022.

Speaking ahead of the exhibition which opens on Tuesday, Dr. Majid Sultan Al Qassimi, the Acting Assistant Undersecretary for Food Diversity Sector and the Director of Animal Development & Health Department at the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, commented on the current issues surrounding food security and how continuous innovation in agriculture is key to ensure sustainable food diversity for generations to come.

“In the past half-decade, food prices have surged worldwide, due to tighter food supply, continued global population growth, rising incomes and altered dietary patterns in an increasingly urbanized world, making food less affordable to many, and drawing attention to the deeper structural flaws in the global food production system,” said Dr. Al Qassimi.

“Within this context, a special focus has been given to research efforts in agricultural advancements. Researchers have been hard at work exploring cutting-edge technologies that can increase the productivity and sustainability of farm crops. The UAE has also reiterated its willingness to share its expertise in this field both locally and internationally,” he explained. 

“AgraME 2018 is well positioned as a catalyst to promote agri-tech innovations. By showcasing the latest game-changing innovations and technology in agriculture, the exhibition brings us one step closer to ensuring food security in the future,” he added.

Samantha Bleasby, Exhibition Director of AgraME, said: “The refocus of AgraME 2018 has put us in a better position to attract the right suppliers from overseas, who have the products and solutions to really help local buyers and government bodies tackle to ongoing issue of food security. With the support of UAE’s Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, we have access to the latest developments within security, and we have aligned our free-to-attend content offering at the show to support this.” 

AgraME will host over 260 local and international companies from 44 countries. Visitors can join any of the free-to-attend conference streams which cover aquaculture, animal health and a specific stream hosted by the Arab Authority for Agricultural Investment and Development (AAAID) which will cover sector overviews and investment opportunities from across the region.