Monday, Jul 28, 2008
Al Ain: Farmers in Al Ain on Sunday started harvesting dates for the Al Foah company - the fruit is the country's single largest agricultural crop.
The date harvest season will end the first week of November during which farmers will deliver the crops to storing and processing companies.
The season generates activity in Al Ain farm areas since the Al Ain region has the biggest population of date palm trees in the country.
Receiving centres
The Al Foah Company, an Abu Dhabi government firm, started receiving dates from farmers yesterday.
The company has date receiving centres at Al Foah, Al Sa'ad, Sey Al Khair, Al Mirfah, Bu Kriya and Ghayathi. These centres have been refurbished and upgraded for the season.
Saeed Salem Mesari Al Hamili, director-general of the company, said at a press conference that Al Foah was fully equipped and ready for the season with integrated services to facilitate the process of receiving dates from farmers.
"The facilities will ensure greater comfort for farmers," he said.
He said the company has appointment qualified people for the classification of dates and to check they are free from defects.
Dr Karim Mohyeldin Saeed, Chief Executive Officer of the Al Foah company, said his company had taken many steps to facilitate and speed up the receiving process and help ensure the delivery of dates is on schedule.
The company expects to receive huge quantities of sayer and kharayef dates this year at the centres. The period to receive kharayef dates from across the country is expected to begin at the end of August.
Toll free: Help a call away
Saeed Salem Mesari Al Hamili, director-general of the Al Foah company, also announced that a toll free telephone service for farmers had been set up.
They can call on 800-5551 to obtain information. Some 14 trained staff will be taking the calls. Last year, he said, farmers made some 62,000 calls to the company during the season.
The Al Foah company was formed under a mandate from the Abu Dhabi Government to represent both the interests of farmers and the vision of the government to transform the date sector so that it contributes to UAE society on solid economic foundations, he said.
The company includes Al Foah Farm, the Emirates Dates Factory in Al Sa'ad and the Al Dhafra Date Factory in Al Marfa.
By Aftab Kazmi
Gulf News 2008. All rights reserved.
