2010-07-28 13:38:40
WAM Abu Dhabi, July 28th, 2010 (WAM) -- The Abu Dhabi government is keen to ensure food safety in the lives of the people of the emirate. This springs from the conviction that the individual is the main pillar of the nation and his/her food safety is the red line that should never be crossed under any circumstance, said Mohammed Ahmed Al Bawardi, Delegate Member and Secretary General of Abu Dhabi Executive Council.

Therefore, the country's wise leadership established a long-term strategy that assigned primacy to people's food safety on the one hand, while on the other, stressed the need for enhancing the quality of local food and agricultural products, he said on the eve of ADFCA annual report 2009.

The decision to bring the agricultural sector under the ADFCA illustrates the far-sightedness of the food safety strategy adopted by the emirate. This wise step will no doubt herald a bright future, with the Authority overseeing the entire range of food production activities �from the farm to the fork'.

"The entire production process will be subjected to constant and strict supervision. The Authority's main objective is to institute an integrated food safety mechanism ranging over the entire food production process at factories to guaranteeing safety at sales outlets so that food items reach consumers free from contaminants and diseases. At the same time, the government of Abu Dhabi strives to provide farmers with an integrated bouquet of services and enlist them in the process of development", he added.

The idea is to enhance the quality of the agricultural products through technological support, making available to the farmers state-of-the-art tools and equipment. Besides, the government will strive to create awareness among farm-owners and farmworkers across the spectrum and to augment their capabilities through technological modernization resulting in better production quality and food self-sufficiency in the long run, he underscored.

The Authority's informed and expert supervision on the ground will protect livestock and agricultural wealth from diseases and natural calamities. The constant interface between farmers and ADFCA experts will educate the former on all potential threats to their crops and livestock.

"We would like to stress in this context the importance of close cooperation from the general public with our food control system, be it the end consumers, producers or importers. The food strategy of Abu Dhabi will result in many positive outcomes in the days to come and we are confident of a promising food future for the emirate", Secretary General of Abu Dhabi Executive Council noted.

"The government of Abu Dhabi reckons food safety and public health among its top priorities. Safety, stability, development or a bright future remain figments of the imagination in the absence of healthy human beings with sound minds and bodies. Safe and quality food nourishes wholesome generations of people who will create civilizations and erect beacons of science, creativity and development. Food is surely the elixir of life that nations guard zealously and keep safe and secure at all costs", he concluded.

WAM/AM