Agthia launches dates marketing season 2022 for Al Foah

ABU DHABI, 10th August, 2022 (WAM) — Agthia Group today announced that the 2022 date marketing season for Al Foah – the world’s largest date receiving and processing business – would run from 6th August to 27th October, when dates produced by more than 17,000 farmers from all over the UAE will be received.

The predicted quantities could reach 90,000 tonnes of date varieties, mainly the Khalas variety and other commercially valued varieties like Fard, Khunaizi, Lulu, Dabbas and Majdoul.

“Agthia Group looks forward to preparing Al Foah’s dates receiving centres and equipping them with all necessary equipment to ensure a streamlined and safe marketing journey. We are enforcing all effective guidelines to ensure the safety of everyone through our seven centres, including Al Saad, Abu Kariyah and Ghumadh in Al Ain area, Saih Al-Khair, Al Marfa and Ghiyathy in Al Dhafra region and Al Thaid Centre, which serves the farmers from other emirates,” said Mubarak Hethaili Al-Mansoori, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer of Agthia Group.

He added that the alternative sales channels include trading channels that will be available for farmers starting from this season to trade dates that exceed the subsidised production ceiling.

A result of cooperation with Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA), this initiative reflects a mutual interest in serving farmers.

Commenting on these initiatives, Mubarak Ali Alqusaili Al Mansoori, Executive Director of the Agricultural Affairs Sector in ADAFSA, stressed that the launch of additional sales channels to trade Emirati dates reflects the interest of Abu Dhabi’s Government to develop the competitive ability of the Emirati dates both locally and globally.

He called on farmers and date producers to engage with the alternative sales channels initiative and e-Zad Platform, trading in dates and for selling their dates that exceed the subsidised production ceiling.

Alternative sales channels include physical auctions on the ground in Al Saad Centre, and Saih Al Khair receiving centres. Additionally, electronic auctions through eZad.ae an electronic platform as an innovative trading channel, to benefit from local and international auctions for wholesale date trade made easy.

The sales channels also include an initiative to purchase dates farmed in homes as well as premium dates at competitive prices to encourage producers of premium Emirati dates in private farms, homes, public and private institutions, without the requirement to be a previously registered farmer with Al Foah in the dates’ marketing season.