The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) has executed 572,361 transactions for the public through its digital channels and customer service centers across the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, in 2019. The number of transactions completed using ADAFSA's digital channels recorded 132,213 transactions, accounting for 94% of the total executed transactions, while about 34,990 face-to-face transactions were executed.

Meanwhile, ADAFSA provided 715,212 proactive services to customers in 2019. These services aimed at providing technical and extension support to farm owners and workers, raising their awareness about the best and newest farming practices and methods, and introducing them to ways for rationalize the use of water, which increases farm production and improves the quality of local produce.

In this regard, Dr. Mohammed Al Hammadi, Acting Director of Communication and Community Service Division, said that services offered to livestock breeders and farmers accounted for 96% of the total services provided to customers.

Al Hammadi affirmed that ADAFSA has made a quantum leap in the digital transformation for its e-services. Its e-services system increasingly used by customers in 2019, as the access to services using ADAFSA's digital platforms increased by over 18.8% compared to 2018.

"In 2019, ADAFSA received about 12,507 customer requests via the Abu Dhabi Government Contact Center (ADGCC). These included food and agricultural-related reports, inquiries, applying for services, complaints, suggestions and compliments. Over 89.3% of these requests are centered around reports, inquiries and applying for services," Al Hammadi added.

He noted that requests received by ADAFSA are divided into 3,201 reports, 3,072 inquiries, 4,892 applying for service requests, 912 complaints, 368 suggestions and compliments, and 62 canceled requests. Al Hammadi indicated that 92.3% of customer requests were received via phone, while the remaining requests were received via ADGCC's e-mail, online chat, self-services, City Guard, and others contact channels.

"Food-related reports have occupied the highest proportion, followed by livestock and agriculture reports. ADAFSA responded to these reports in a record time. The accuracy of response to customers' reports reached over 95%, while accuracy of response to inquiries recorded 100%, which shows the immediate and urgent follow-up given to these reports. The authority has contacted with complainants to brief them with actions taken regarding their complaints," Al Hammadi said.
Al Hammadi praised the outstanding performance of ADGCC's staff and their skills while receiving complaints and suggestions of customers about food and agriculture facilities in the emirate. He stressed these efforts contributed to improving the level of food safety and solving customers' complaints in a record time according to the quality standards adopted by ADAFSA.

Furthermore, Al Hammadi affirmed ADAFSA's keenness on adopting developmental plans to improve its digital services and communication with customers, to meet the increased demand for its services, thus reaping customers' happiness by accomplishing their transactions quickly and effortlessly.

Al Hammadi reiterated his call on the public to get in touch with the authority via its social media accounts, email, and ADGCC's toll free number 800555, to report any information or complaints in relevance to food safety and agricultural.