Israel UAE | Business Guide | 2021

51 systems, greenhouse, plant-soil, robotic solutions in greenhouses, etc. And they can assist farmers save water by automatically assessing the exact amount of water needed in every part of the field. Livestock & Their Produce Rapid development of agriculture in the UAEwas seen during the 1980 s, when the country startedproducingup to 30 %of its food requirements. There are today over 30 , 000 farms in the UAE, an exponential increase fromaround 4 , 000 farms in the early 1970 s. An increasewas also seen in recent years in dairy farming and poultry production in Dubai and in other parts of the Emirates, and local dairiesmet 92 %of the demand in the country. In 2019 , the value of imports of live animals to the Emirate of Abu Dhabi was about 2 . 7 billion UAE Dirhams. The percentage of sheep and goats in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi alonemade up around 85 . 8 %of the total livestock, followed by camels at 12 . 7 % and cattle at 1 . 5 % as shown by the data pertaining to traditional holdings in 2019 . PreservingWater One major obstacle faced by the industry of agriculture in the UAE is the scarcity of water. Past efforts made to increase the cultivable area resulted in the depletion of underground aquifers, drop inwater tables and an increase in soil and water salinity . Here, Israeli technologies and processes could be adopted to boost agriculture, aswell as to ensure the preservation of water resources. They could prevent crop loss and monitor the supply chain of fruits and vegetables. Israel also stands out in itsmanagement of water security, including protection from cyber threats, water safety, water resource security and its supply processes . Making Agriculture Sustainable in the UAE The UAE Cabinet introduced the National Strategy for Sustainable Agriculture in June 2020 . It aims to increase the efficiency levels of farms, increase self-sufficiency in certain agricultural crops and reduce water usage for irrigation, amongother goals - all meant tomake agriculture sustainable . Currently, there are more than 50 organic vegetation farms in the UAE. The UAE aims to continue sustainable agriculturemethods to boost sustainable food production and reduce the level of imports.