1. Our goal is to improve the competitiveness of the Emirati dates, increase farmer’s income, and improve the commercial varieties’ quality.
2. Providing buying, selling, and marketing online services to farmers.
3. First online market that links buyers and dates wholesalers through an online auction.
4. A good turnout on participation in the “Local Farmer Award”.

The Date Palm Friends Society in the United Arab Emirates organized its third virtual lecture, presenting “Dates Marketing 2020 Season, according to the updated collection policy”, by Eng. Eyas AlShareef, Manufacturing Department Director at Al Foah Company, on Wednesday the 9th of September, 2020. The lecture was attended by 42 participants, representing 10 Arab countries, among which are members of the UAE Date Palm Friends Society, farmers, and Agricultural experts.

Dr. Abdelouahhab Zaid, Executive Director of the Date Palm Friends Society, mentioned that this virtual lecture held via Zoom, comes under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Date Palm Friends Society in the UAE, and within the society’s framework and commitment to spread the scientific knowledge and awareness on the Date Palm Best Practices, and providing technical and scientific advice and support to farmers to help them face any challenges. Dr. Zaid also expressed his appreciation to the extended technical efforts and support by Al Foah Company in serving the date palm farmers and producers in the UAE, and especially the great efforts done in collecting the locally produced dates from Emirati farmers across the UAE.

From his side, Eng. Eyas AlShareef, did start the lecture by highlighting the precautionary measures followed by Al Foah Company during the 2020 dates marketing season, in order to ensure the safety of farmers and dates received. Where the updated date’s collection policy mainly aims to improve the competitiveness of the Emirati dates at the local and international levels, it also aims to increase farmer’s income, improve the commercial varieties’ quality and limit the commercially undesired varieties.

Moreover, Eng. AlShareef presented the classification mechanism used by Al Foah Company to classify farmers into the small farmer’s category and the large farmer’s category according to a set of certified classification controls. Al Foah Company collects the received dates from farmers according to a set system that indicates the ceiling of supported as per the small and large farmer’s categories. The company is also assiduous on the quality of dates collected according to a set of standards that assures food safety in terms of the absence of insect infestations, mold and phenotypic, while also focusing on the weight per date according to each variety, and controlling the percentage of peeled dates to not exceed 10-20%.

The lecture also included the presentation of the electronic services provided by the company to ensure the safety of the farmers and community. As the electronic services are available along the day, farmers are only asked to register in Al Foah Company’s official application or farmer’s portal to get any service. The company also provides luxury date producers remunerative prices and product marketing that they can apply for on (Farmers.alfoah.ae). Farmers can also participate in an online market that links buyers and dates wholesalers through an online auction on (www.ezad.ae) or call 8005551 for further inquiries. The lecture was an opportunity to exchange ideas and opinions between farmers, participating experts, and the lecturer, who presented a detailed explanation on the updated collection policy by Al Foah Company that aims to serve the date palm farmers and producers in the UAE.

Eng. Eyas AlShareef ended the lecture by highlighting the importance of the participation of farmers in the “Local Farmer Award”, as the doors are still open for the 4^th session for applications until the 31^st of December, 2020. This award was launched by Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation in collaboration with Al Foah Company, and which aimed to enhance the competition between farmers and date producers as well as raising the quality of dates in the UAE.