UAE: Armela Farms Gears Up To Open 3 ha Automated Lettuce Farm
After launching in August 2016, the Armela team has spent more than two years in Research and Development regarding techniques, varieties of produce and optimum climate conditions, before celebrating their first harvest in August 2018. Since then, the team has advanced its process to achieve over 250% of an increase in production and is currently finalizing the opening of a new facility for Q1 2021, which will boast over 3 hectares of fully automated advanced lettuce farm, making it the largest facility of its kind in the GCC.
Armela Farms will also partner with several leaders in the Dutch agriculture sector to build the largest automated data-driven growing facility in the United Arab Emirates. Located in Abu Dhabi, the farm will be able to create over 9,000,000 lettuce heads per annum; that’s equivalent to 2,300 tonnes per annum.
Dutch tech
Armela Farms has chosen Van der Hoeven Horticultural Products to supply the project. In conjunction, Armela Farms will be using specialist technologies from a variety of suppliers like Hoogendoorn, Patron Agri Systems, Green Production Systems, Rijk Zwaan, Jiffy, Koppert, due to the expertise and experience by each company in their individual fields.
Mr. Avir Shah, CEO, and Founder of Armela Farms states, “Our aim is to produce products which exceed our community's expectation and reduce the reliance of imported highly-priced products by bridging the supply and demand gap with affordable price. We can achieve this vision by utilizing available resources and transforming it into a hi-tech, sustainable food production facility in accordance with the country’s vision of National Food Security and self-sustainability.”
Mr. Yazan Abu Jaish, General Manager of Armela Farms: “The new facility, for example, will enable us to monitor the evaporation of a single plant at any given time and many other advanced parameters required for optimum plant grown and output. Armela Farms is now moving from traditional hydroponic farming to data-driven farming.”
Mr. Gerard Oorthuys of Van der Hoeven Horticultural Projects: “I was very impressed by the sheer knowledge of the Armela farms team and wanted to show them one of our constructed greenhouses to show our capability. From our regional experience, we understand the climatic challenges more than any other company and we are confident we will deliver them a fantastic project.”
For more information:
Armela Farms
armelafarms.com
Publication date: Mon 9 Mar 2020