UAE-based agritech firm Armela is finalising plans for a horizontal high-tech strawberry facility and evaluating production of baby spinach and blueberries, its founder and chief executive said.
"This will support year-round production and distribution," Avir Shah told Zawya Projects on the sidelines of Gulf Food event in Dubai. Shah said the company holds 80–85 percent share of the UAE's lettuce market and is expanding its footprint in kale and cucumber through farm acquisitions.
The company produces an average of 4.2 tonnes of premium hydroponic lettuce annually from its high-tech facilities in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, alongside kale and cucumbers from lower-tech farms. It is also conducting trials for broccoli, a crop it currently imports at scale from Kenya.
"We are among the largest importers of broccoli in the UAE. Now we're testing whether we can grow it locally year-round through mid-tech greenhouse solutions," Shah said. Backed by the UAE-based AWR, Armela operates both horizontal and vertical farms but has stayed away from high-tech vertical farming.
Read more at Zawya
