The Abu Dhabi government has created a AED100m ($27m) fund to finance agricultural projects in the emirate over the next five years, according to the Abu Dhabi Farmers’ Services Centre (ADFSC).

The Agricultural Investment Fund is a partnership between the ADFSC and the Food Security Centre Abu Dhabi (FSCAD), which will include financing and non-financing schemes to encourage local farmers to adopt modern agricultural techniques and contribute to the emirate’s food security system.

The first project to enhance food security will be a hydroponics programme that will use greenhouses to grow crops using mineral nutrient solutions and reduce the amount of water and fertilisers needed.

Earlier in December, ADFSC announced it had started supplying local sheep, veal and chicken to big supermarkets operating in the UAE for the first time.