Madar Farms signs contract with Certhon for first UAE commercial indoor farming facility

On 14 January 2020 during the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, CEO of Madar Farms Mr. AlMulla and Certhon signed a contract for the first UAE indoor farm. This milestone was witness by Dutch Ambassador Lody Embrechts and Dutch Agricultural Advisor Erik Smidt. The signing took place at the Madar Farms pavilion during the Dutch trade mission.

The world’s first commercial-scale indoor farm to grow fresh tomatoes will begin operation in Abu Dhabi later this year. All harvested produce will be distributed locally across the UAE and available for purchase. Having led an agriculture revolution in the UAE by using advanced methods to grow a variety of fresh produce with cutting-edge farming techniques, the facility will increase Madar Farms’ operations in developing local food for local consumption. It will also contribute towards the UAE’s goals of tackling food and water security challenges common to the region.

The tomato farm is completely designed, during an intensive development process, by the Dutch firm Certhon. Certhon develops high-tech sustainable horticulture solutions for local and fresh year-round vegetable production. The facility will be installed with ultra-efficient Philips GreenPower LED fixtures from Signify, also from The Netherlands. The growth-technology is based on Certhon’s own cooling and automation systems. Several successful trials have been completed for Madar Farms in Certhon’s own Innovation Centre to test and optimize ideal cultivation recipes. As part of its commitment to sustainable farming methods, the tomatoes will be grown using the most water-efficient system in the world. Madar Farms will use 30% less water per kilogram of tomatoes compared to other high-tech tomato greenhouses.

Abdulaziz AlMulla, CEO and Co-founder of Madar Farms, said: “Our new state-of-the-art farming facility is a milestone moment for Madar Farms. As the population in the UAE continues to grow and there’s more focus on sustainability, the new farm will help to meet this increasing demand and give UAE consumers more options to enjoy the best quality fresh locally-grown produce.