The Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA) has recently launched awareness -inspection campaign on the agricultural facilities trading in pesticides, fertilizers, soil conditioners and seeds in Al Ain city. The campaign reflected the authority's keenness to implement the proper practices for trading and storing the agricultural materials in these facilities. It also came with the authority's efforts aim at optimizing its monitoring role in the food and agriculture sectors in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

Targeting facilities trading in pesticide, fertilizer, soil conditioners and seeds in Alhayar area, the campaign aimed to ensure they are adhering to the legislations and laws on the circulation of agricultural materials.  It also aimed at educating the workers in these facilities about the best agricultural-related practices that ensure the proper handling of agricultural materials, as well as detecting irregularities in some facilities in the evening out of official working hours.

During the campaign, the authority's inspectors have inspected the agricultural facilities, which are trading in all agricultural supplies, to ensure the conformity of its products (pesticides, fertilizers and seeds) with their standards and conditions. Furthermore, the inspectors have checked the records of the agricultural materials, to verify the ability to track them, particularly pesticides.

The campaign resulted in issuing five alerts, three warnings, and one violation's report against facilities that did not implement the authority's requirements. Meanwhile, the inspectors verified five establishments which met ADFCA's requirements.

The authority's campaign aimed at raising awareness of the agricultural-related facilities' owners and employees about the most important requirements regulating the process of trading in agricultural materials, through distributing awareness publications. The publications included information on the safe circulation of agricultural materials and guidance posters for new facilities which were inspected during the campaign.

ADFCA is working on formulating the general policy and preparing various plans, programmes and activities to achieve sustainable agricultural development in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Furthermore, the authority strives to achieve the Abu Dhabi Government's agricultural policy, which aims at realizing a sustainable agricultural sector through implementing the latest agricultural systems. It also seeks to provide advice, logistical support and technical services to farmers, as well as developing the marketing centers and improving the competitiveness of local agricultural products, to contribute in raising food safety levels across the emirate.