Sheikh Mansour Award honors innovation in agriculture sector

Photo : Abu Dhabi Media Office

Under the support of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the third Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Agricultural Excellence Award honored 55 winners with the theme Innovative Farmers and Breeders with a Sustainable Vision. The award ceremony took place at Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, attended by important guests, including Her Excellency Dr Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak, Minister of Climate Change and Environment; His Excellency Dr Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili, Chairman of the Department of Community Development and Managing Director of ADAFSA; His Excellency Dr Tariq Al Ameri, Director General of ADAFSA; and Her Excellency Mouza Suhail Al Muhairi, Chair of the Supreme Organizing Committee of the Award. Many officials, media members, and social media influencers also attended.

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During her speech, Her Excellency Dr Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak thanked His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, for supporting the farming sector and food safety. She also praised His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan for leading this award, which encourages farmers and animal breeders to use modern and smart farming methods. She said this year’s award had more people taking part, with over 451 competitors. Many visitors also came to see the festivals and competitions related to farming and sustainability.

She said this award is not just for giving prizes but is also part of the UAE’s plan to improve farming and food safety. It supports the UAE’s National Food Security Strategy 2051 and the UAE’s Net Zero 2050 Strategy. She said that new ideas in farming can help save water, reduce pollution, and protect nature. She congratulated the winners and said that everyone who took part is already a winner. She also thanked ADAFSA, the Presidential Court, and all the people who helped make the award successful.

Her Excellency Mouza Suhail Al Muhairi said the award has become an important platform for recognizing farming success and modern ideas. This year, 451 people joined the competition in four main categories and 13 smaller categories. Experts checked the applications carefully, including visiting farms, to make sure the best candidates won. The prize money for this year was AED 10 million, showing how much the UAE leaders care about farming. Since the award started, 676 people have taken part, and 107 winners have received AED 16.7 million in total.

She said the committee will continue to promote the winners by sharing their stories and farming methods. This will help other farmers learn new techniques and improve their work. The award will keep inspiring farmers to use smart farming, increase competition, and support the country’s economy. It also helps connect farmers with scientists, researchers, and farming experts through workshops and events. By using modern technology, the award helps improve farming, increase crop quality, and save natural resources for future generations.

The award had many categories, and the winners were as follows:

Faisal Salem Al Nuaimi won first place in Best Farm for Open Agriculture, followed by Majid Muhair Al Ketbi in second and Salem Issa Al Mazrouei in third.

Saeed Meher Al Ketbi won first place in Best Greenhouse Farm, while Khamis Matar Al Mansouri came second, Hamed Ahmed Al Hamed took third, Mohammed Al Hameli came fourth, and Khamis Obaid Hamrin Al Dhaheri finished fifth.

In Best Fruit Production Farm, Mohammed Shaml Al Mamari won first place, followed by Khalfan Humaid Al Mutaiwi in second, Rashid Abdullah Al Murr in third, Shliwih Matar Al Mansouri in fourth, and Hadef Mohammed Al Khaili in fifth.

Sultan Saeed Al Shamsi won Best Organic Farm, followed by Hilal Khamis Al Muraikhi in second, Salah Salem Al Shamsi in third, and Issa Mohammed Al Dabbous in fourth.

For Best Productive Animal Farm, Raya Salem Ali Al Lamki won first place, with Ghanem Sultan Al Suwaidi in second, Wael Sakhr Ali Al Musabi in third, Salmeen Faraj Al Kathiri in fourth, and Noura Khalifa Saeed Al Jabri in fifth.

The Best Small-Scale Producer category had Fish Farm LLC in first place, Al Nayfat Arabian Farm in second, Al Musaddarat Sheep Farm in third, Marhab Farms in fourth, and Ali Al Kaabi Sheep Farm in fifth.

In Best Beekeeper, Mohammed Hadef Mohammed Al Nuaimi won first place, followed by Mohammed Hassan Ali Al Zaabi in second, Badr Batti Salem Al Shamsi in third, Khalifa Saif Darwish Al Ketbi in fourth, and Amal Abdullah Ahmed Al Hammadi in fifth.

Gulf Aqua Culture won first place in Aquaculture, with Agrioceanic Fish Farming L.L.C in second and Capital Agro Agricultural Production Farm in third.

The Agricultural Innovation in Plant and Animal Production category was won by Sultan Mohammed Ghadeer Al Mazrouei, with Rashid Salim Rashid Al Ketbi in second, Mohammed Shu’aib Al Hammadi in third, Yislem Mubarak Ali Al Breiki in fourth, and Fahem Salem Jassim Al Nuaimi in fifth.

In the Commercial Plant Farms category, Armela Farms won first place, while in the Commercial Livestock Farms category, Emirates Bio Farm took first place, followed by Ruboo Remah Dairy Farm in second.

To honor women in farming, Qamasha Saeed Al Mazrouei won first place in Outstanding Female Farmer, followed by Maryam Khadem Al Mazrouei in second, Salima Sultan Al Shamsi in third, Ruwaiya Salem Al Darai in fourth, and Lameya Ali Al Saiqal in fifth.

In Outstanding Female Breeder, Salma Salman Al Hinai won first place, while Huda Mubarak Mohammed Al Balushi came second, Maryam Mohammed Rashid Al Maqbali took third, Maryam Mohammed Ghafan Al Jabri came fourth, and Hadram Khamis Saeed finished fifth.

The award ceremony also recognized the efforts of many partners, including the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, the Supreme Committee of the Sheikh Zayed Festival in Al Wathba, the Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council, Abu Dhabi Media Network, Emirates News Agency (WAM), ADNEC Group, the Emirates Association of Poultry Breeders, and Lulu Group International. Their support helped make the award successful and continue promoting excellence in farming and sustainability in the UAE.