Dubai Municipality announced the ‘Dubai’s Best Homegrown Produce Competition’ to involve all members of society and to encourage citizens and residents to exploit all available spaces to cultivate fruits and vegetable crops to achieve self-sufficiency, increase income, and elevate the quality of life in the UAE community.
The competition also promotes local agriculture for increased local production and enhanced food security in the Emirate of Dubai. However, Best Homegrown Produce Competition is only for the residential areas in Dubai and not permitted for those in apartments.
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The prize money will amount to Dh100,000, which will be awarded to the first three centres divided into Dh50,000 for the first winner, Dh30,000 for the second, and Dh20,000 for the third. In addition, a medal of Dubai’s Best Homegrown Produce, will be placed by Dubai Municipal Leaders at the front of the winning garden. The winners of the competition will be announced in May 2024.
Muhammad Abdul Rahman Al-Awadi, Director of Agriculture Department at Dubai Municipality, said, “Dubai Municipality is focused on the goal of supporting community practices, which motivates both citizens and residents to produce sustainable local agriculture. It is a pivotal factor in the efforts to ensure the sustainability of the food security system and environmental resources.
“The commitment comes in support of the National Food Security Strategy goals, as well as Dubai Food Security Strategy, which aims at improving domestic production and reducing food loss and wastage, further consolidating the Emirate’s position as the world’s leading destination that combines aesthetic, environmental and food sustainability.”
How to participate
The Municipality gave a one-month period to register for this competition through the following link: https://dm.gov.ae. Aspiring participants can fill out the form, which requires the owner’s personal data, place number, location of the area planted (courtyard or rooftop), details of cultivated items, irrigation methods, and a picture of the garden.
All kinds of owners (property or lease) with home gardens are eligible to participate in the competition, while the owners of farmlands, members of the Supreme or Technical Committee, or other subcommittees are not entitled to take part in it.
Dubai Municipality curated a comprehensive matrix including the key criteria for assessment. It involves factors such as environment and sustainability that underscore the conditions for the use of organic fertilisers and reduction of chemical fertilisers and soil free of weeds, ensuring the safety of plant varieties from pests and diseases through integrated control methods, proper waste disposal and recycling of agricultural waste.
Furthermore, the criteria highlight points such as rationalising resource consumption of both water and electricity, the use of solar energy, the application of advanced irrigation systems, the preservation of quality and hygiene, and recycling of irrigation water. The diversity of plants grown and the balance of plants in the garden are highlighted in the criteria to ensure overall appearance.
In addition, the criteria set standards for the type and quality of production, maintaining the garden’s hygiene, security, and safety measures such as guarding power lines, irrigation sockets, and service corridors within the park, and the requirement for an innovative and unique idea.
Through Dubai Farms Program, Dubai Municipality will provide a package of services and facilities that support its national farmers. It will provide agricultural extension services, control agricultural pests and necessary laboratory tests, competitive prices for agricultural supplies, machinery, and irrigation systems, and prepare the production agriculture strategy for Dubai.