Located in Abu Dhabi at the Armed Forces Officers Club, Smart Acres is set to be launched in the third quarter of 2020.
This hydroponic vertical farming solution project aims to address the issues of food security during pandemic like situations in the UAE as well as problems associated with harsh climate conditions in the region. Smart Acres will allow customers, as well as food businesses, source locally produced food, decreasing their dependence on food import.
Hydroponic vertical farming method provides a solution to many common impediments within the agriculture industry such as water waste, depletion of nutrients in soil, infestation of insects, and more.
The farming technique is capable of providing the UAE with the cleanest, safest, and most nutritious foods using less natural resources and without compromising on the nutritional value of the produce.
In collaboration with n.thing, A South Korean vertical farming technology company, Smart Acres has designed its farm modules using an award-winning IoT-based technology system.
Smart Acres is in the midst of producing a variety of lettuce and herbs such as Green Glace, Oakleaf, Lollo Rosso, and Shiso, with plans to eventually grow baby spinach, mature spinach, and baby arugula.
The company will later expand to meet the demand of popular produce in the region such as strawberries, with a shift and emphasis on cultivating potato seeds.
Lately, Carrefour also opened its first in-store hydroponic farm in Dubai at its store in Al Wasl.
Sherry Aggarwal Gupta 