May 2, 2012
Abu Dhabi to buy 500,000 tonnes animal feed in 2012
In order to help make up for lower domestic production due to a water saving campaign, Abu Dhabi's executive council has approved plans to import 500,000 tonnes of animal fodder this year, the food authority said on Tuesday (May 1).
The Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA) said in May 2011 it would pay farmers up to US$30,000 a year not to grow thirsty crops in the dry desert emirate and refraining from animal feed production was one of the conditions.
Since then, production of Rhodes grass, one of the most water-intensive crops, has dropped from 1.55 million tonnes to 79,000 tonnes in Abu Dhabi, ADFCA said in a statement.
The decision also led to a decrease in ground water use to 50 billion gallons in 2011, saving around 42% compared to 2009.
Abu Dhabi, the wealthiest of the seven-member United Arab Emirates (UAE), is estimated to consume 550 litres of water per person per day - up to three times the world average.
To reduce groundwater use, which supplies about 60% of demand in the UAE, the country has invested heavily in desalination, producing nine million cubic metres of water at a cost of around US$18 million a day.