PRODUCTION AND MARKETING OF VEGETABLES IN THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES WITH REFERENCE TO GREENHOUSE INDUSTRY

Located in the southern part of the Arabian Gulf, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a small country covering 83600 square kilometres with high per capita income heavily dependent on oil.
Being a desert country with extremely low annual rainfall (60–150 mms) and limited groundwater, the UAE does not possess the natural agricultural resources.
However, for the purpose of food-security great efforts were made for agricultural production, particularly in vegetables the prime crop, due to the advances made in water facilities and other production technologies including greenhouses.
Based on survey data, the experience of the UAE in expansion of vegetables production is reviewed and potentialities and constraints of marketing are assessed.
Results indicate that the adoption of production technologies based on a trade-off between cost of production and economic return is vital for sustainable vegetables production; and in this respect greenhouses appear to provide an opportunity for vertical expansion.
Furthermore, policy implications are drawn regarding improvement of marketing performance.

Strategies for Market Oriented Greenhouse Production

Y. Guma, A. A.R. Al-Masoum

Food-security, irrigation, consumption, technology, gross margin

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1996.434.53