ABU DHABI: The Organising Committee of the Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Agricultural Excellence Award invited owners of plant and livestock farms from GCC countries to participate in the competitions and festivals associated with the Award, which are held at the Award stand at the Sheikh Zayed Festival in Al Wathba, Abu Dhabi.
The Organising Committee will accept applications to participate in the associated competitions until 1st March 2024 through the Award website.
The GCC animal breeders are eligible to participate in the Best Breed Competition, the Best Weight Competition and the Best Milk Production Competition.
The Committee pointed out that providing livestock breeders in the GCC countries with the opportunity to participate in the competitions that accompany the Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Agricultural Excellence Award would enhance its regional status as the leading Award in the field of agricultural excellence.
These participations will contribute to the development of the animal wealth sector at the
regional level through the exchange of experiences, the improvement of the quality of livestock products and the application of best sustainable practices in the field of livestock breeding, as well as the exchange of information on the latest technologies and practices that contribute to reducing costs, through cooperation in the procurement of animal feed, medicines and other inputs.
It explained that the competitions open to GCC breeders include the best breed competition for Al Nuaimi, Al Najdi, Al Shami, Al Harri, Al Orb and Al Ardhi goats, while the best weight competition includes Al Nuaimi, Al Najdi, Al Harri, Al Orb, all lamb breeds as well as Al Ardhi and Shami goats and all goat breeds. As for the milk production competition, it includes the breeds of Al Nuaimi, Al Najdi, Al Harri, Al Ardhi goats and Al Shami goat breed, as well as open runs for all breeds of sheep and goats.
This year, the Award includes 9 different festivals and 21 competitions associated with the Award divided into 72 sub-comp
etitions, which include the best product of dates, best manufacturing products from palm, best local fruit basket, best fig basket, and best Sidr fruits competitions. Additionally, there will be a live cooking competition, a contest for the best animal and marine food processing, a competition for the best dairy product, livestock competitions, and an awareness and promotional competition.
The total value of the prizes is AED 10 million, which will be shared among the participants in the main categories of the Award and the participants in the various associated competitions and festivals organised as part of the Sheikh Zayed Festival in Al Wathba. The Award has been divided into four main categories including the first category featuring eight sub-categories for distinguished farmers and breeders. Four awards will be given to crop production-related sub-categories, including the Best Farm in Open Field Cultivation, the Best Farm in Greenhouse Cultivation, the Best Farm in Fruit Production, and the Best Orga
nic Farm. The other four awards will be given to animal production-related sub-categories, including Productive Livestock Farms, Small-Scale Producers, Beekeepers, and Aquatic Farms.
The second category is dedicated to agricultural innovation and includes two awards, the first for plant production and the other for animal production. The third category is dedicated to commercial farms and includes two awards, one for commercial plant farms and the other for commercial animal farms. In this edition, a new category was introduced to recognise exceptional women in agriculture. This fourth category is dedicated to honouring the best distinguished woman farmer and breeder, with two awards: one for the best distinguished female farmer and the other for the best distinguished female breeder. The aim is to support and recognise women’s significant role and efforts in agriculture, contributing to enhancing the food security system.
The Organising Committee has set a few controls and requirements for accepting applic
ations for Award nomination in its various categories, including, amongst others, the contestant has the right to participate in only one main category of the Award during the same edition, while the winner has the right to run for the same category he has won after the lapse of two editions from the date of receiving the Award. In addition, the winner has the right to nominate in the next edition of the Award for one of the categories in which he has not previously won. Moreover, he may also nominate in any of the categories of the associated competitions in which he has previously won while the decision of the jury is final and not subject to appeal.
Source: Emirates News Agency