Alberta Promotes Forage, Beef and Canola in UAE
CANADA - In May 2012, an Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development delegation visited the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to meet with key buyers of forage products, beef and canola oil, and to research future opportunities for value-added food products.
6 June 2012
2 minute read
The mission included the second annual meeting of the Abu Dhabi – Alberta Agricultural Technical Working Group. The working group was established in 2011 to build stronger partnerships in agri-food trade, research and information exchange between the two regions.
In light of the limited arable land in the country and the strain that irrigation places on the region’s water table, the UAE has made recent policy changes to its support of local growers. The likely effect of these changes is a decrease in grain and forage farming in the region. Alberta delegates met with several key industry players in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Al Ain to profile Alberta as a safe, reliable supplier of products that the UAE will now need to import.
Conversations took place with UAE University’s Faculty of Agriculture on possible collaboration with Alberta’s agricultural educational institutions. Faculty members suggested potential bilateral projects. Similar projects and information exchange opportunities arose during discussions with the research division of the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority.
The UAE is a politically stable country with strong international networks which could be used to the benefit of Alberta’s exporters, helping them reach other parts of the Middle East and North Africa. Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development’s trade development officers are pleased to work with Alberta’s agri-food exporters seeking an introduction to the region. Members of Alberta Agriculture’s international relations and marketing branch encourage potential exporters to contact the branch to discuss their export plans and needs.
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