To grow rice in the barren desert landscape is an achievement in itself, but to turn seedlings into large quantities of the daily staple using minimal water is a breakthrough that could change the face of farming altogether.
That is the progress made by the team at Terraplus Solutions, a UAE-Belgian partnership of entrepreneurs and economists seeking to solve the riddle of water shortages and food security.
The issue threatens to become a crisis in the years ahead as climate change strips the land of groundwater reserves in arid parts of the world.
By using an innovative underground irrigation system delivering water direct to the roots, Sharjah farmers produced rice seedlings using just 0.9 litres for every kilogram of basmati rice.
Rice can be produced easily with unlimited water, but that is not a sustainable solution here in the UAE - the challenge was how to make it profitable for market distribution
Nicolas Bruylants,
agritech entrepeneur
It is a huge saving compared with the usual 200 litres of clean water required to produce the same amount under traditional paddy field methods, where ploughed fields are fertilised and flooded.
Patrick Stevens, managing director and co-founder of Terraplus Solutions, is an economist who entered the area of water conservation after working on a mineral plant in Turkey.
“This solution is the most economic way of farming that can save water and money,” he said. “Feasibility in terms of water was the big question, so we completely changed the system of cultivation.”
$550 per tonne versus $800-plus for imports
The average subsidised price for an imported tonne of rice in the UAE is approximately $817 and the country has imported more than 900,000 tonnes of rice over the past 12 months.
Terraplus says it can produce rice locally for $550 per tonne.
“We keep the soil moist around the roots, in the morning and evening,” said Mr Stevens. “That way we reduce the typical use of water from 6,000 litres per kilo down to 1,200 litres.
“I believe we can do it with less than 600 litres per kg; that makes it absolutely viable to grow over here.”
Similar techniques have already been used across the UAE to relieve the strain on groundwater supplies in the farming of date palms alongside Al Nakhli, a government agricultural agency.
Trials took place at a 450-square-metre patch of land in a farm at Dhaid in Sharjah in 2020.
A second crop planted in June yielded a healthy harvest of rice in October using substantially less water than a traditional paddy field.
After the farmers factored in costs of labour, seeds, fertiliser and water, the project turned out slightly cheaper and more sustainable than importing rice.
Nicolas Bruylants, a food and beverage entrepreneur, said it shows there are better ways of irrigating crops to support food security.
“For most farms in the UAE water is still accessible from the ground for free, but how those resources are being used is not really monitored,” he said.
“Terraplus is there to find solutions to reduce the amount of water used in agriculture to preserve this resource in the UAE.
“Rice can produced easily with unlimited water, but that is not a sustainable solution here in the UAE.
“The challenge was how to make it profitable for market distribution.”
The team at Terraplus are preparing more trials to see if the same techniques and T+ irrigation system could be used to grow quinoa and other seed crops.
Testing has also taken place in Jordan and Iraq, and Egypt is also likely to be a destination in the future.
A similar joint project between UAE University scientists and South Korean experts took place in 2020, where 763kg of rice was grown in a 1,000-square-metre plot of the Sharjah desert.
Food demand to place huge pressure on farming
The global population is expected to reach around 10 billion by 2050, with food demand predicted to rise by 60 per cent as a result.
Alternative and sustainable farming methods are vital if that is to be maintained — particularly in regions of water scarcity.
Vertical farming in huge warehouses without sunlight and soil is one solution, producing highly consumed vegetables and leafy greens with 40 per cent less power, and 95 per cent less water.
Agritech firm AeroFarms is behind a vast 8,200-square-metre research and development centre in Abu Dhabi — the largest in the world — which aims to advance sustainable agriculture in arid climates.
In the UAE, the food and beverage trade has increased steadily to reach more than $20 billion in the first nine months of 2021, with almost 90 per cent of food products imported.
Hassan Al Hashemi, vice president of international relations at Dubai Chambers, home to 300,000 private sector members, told a recent food security forum at Dubai Expo 2020 the country must shift towards more self-sufficiency.
“Our government has underlined the importance of food security as a key element of comprehensive development,” he said.
“It has formulated policies aimed at facilitating sustainable food production by utilising the latest in technology and innovative approaches.
“As global food suppliers become increasingly stretched by rising demand, the focus has shifted from capacity to achieving greater efficiency and self-sufficiency in order to increase local production and reduce environmental impact.”
Sui Dhaaga: Made in India
Director: Sharat Katariya
Starring: Varun Dhawan, Anushka Sharma, Raghubir Yadav
3.5/5
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Read more about the coronavirus
OPINIONS ON PALESTINE & ISRAEL
Company Profile
Founder: Omar Onsi
Launched: 2018
Employees: 35
Financing stage: Seed round ($12 million)
Investors: B&Y, Phoenician Funds, M1 Group, Shorooq Partners
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
More coverage from the Future Forum
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RESULTS
2.15pm: Al Marwan Group Holding – Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
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2.45pm: Sharjah Equine Hospital – Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,000m
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Winner: MH Rahal, Richard Mullen, Elise Jeanne
4.25pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Cup – Prestige Handicap (PA) Dh100,000 (D) 1,200m
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
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The view from The National
The Book of Collateral Damage
Sinan Antoon
(Yale University Press)
Bullet%20Train
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The biog
Favourite book: You Are the Placebo – Making your mind matter, by Dr Joe Dispenza
Hobby: Running and watching Welsh rugby
Travel destination: Cyprus in the summer
Life goals: To be an aspirational and passionate University educator, enjoy life, be healthy and be the best dad possible.
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Q&A with Dash Berlin
Welcome back. What was it like to return to RAK and to play for fans out here again?
It’s an amazing feeling to be back in the passionate UAE again. Seeing the fans having a great time that is what it’s all about.
You're currently touring the globe as part of your Legends of the Feels Tour. How important is it to you to include the Middle East in the schedule?
The tour is doing really well and is extensive and intensive at the same time travelling all over the globe. My Middle Eastern fans are very dear to me, it’s good to be back.
You mix tracks that people know and love, but you also have a visually impressive set too (graphics etc). Is that the secret recipe to Dash Berlin's live gigs?
People enjoying the combination of the music and visuals are the key factor in the success of the Legends Of The Feel tour 2018.
Have you had some time to explore Ras al Khaimah too? If so, what have you been up to?
Coming fresh out of Las Vegas where I continue my 7th annual year DJ residency at Marquee, I decided it was a perfect moment to catch some sun rays and enjoy the warm hospitality of Bab Al Bahr.
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
