M. Djemali and G. Alhadrami
Animal Production Department, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences,
UAE University, P.O. Box 17555, Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, with a population of 1.9 million, are a federation of seven Emirates: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al Qaiwan, Ras al-Khaimah and Fujairah. Abu Dhabi and Dubai occupy 92% of the total area, have 60% of the total cultivated land and are inhabited by 68% of the population (FAO 1997).
The total area of the UAE is 8.36 million hectares, mostly sandy desert and salt marshes. The total cultivated area in 1995 was 72,000 ha. Arable farming, livestock, fisheries, poultry and forestry are the main agricultural enterprises. Date palms occupy 53%, vegetables 24%, fodder 16% and other fruit trees 7% of the cultivated land (FAO 1997).
Livestock production is based on 200,000 ha of communal grazing land. Statistics (MAF 1994) show that, as a result of the greater availability of feed and the provision of financial subsidies for livestock owners, over 1.5 million livestock—cattle, camels, sheep and goats—are now kept in the UAE, compared with only 0.4 million in 1970. Sheep and goats are the main species, but there has been a dramatic growth in dairy farming, using imported cattle, and in modern poultry farming. Most livestock projects are privately owned and managed.
The single-humped camel has played an integral role in the daily life of people in the Arabian Gulf. It is now less important for transportation and is considered of low economic value compared with imported livestock. Camel racing, however, is becoming an industry, giving the animal an important place in the UAE and Gulf countries. Two important private centres, the Scientific Centre for Racing Camels in Al-Ain and the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory in Dubai, are now carrying out research on racing camels.
The UAE University is also giving high priority to research on camel milk and meat production and the utilisation of local feed resources, especially date palm by-products and salt-tolerant grasses, such as Sporobolus and Spartina.
More emphasis should be given to the role of the camel as a meat, milk and fibre producer under desert conditions.
The UAE has a long tradition of raising sheep and goats in arid conditions. There are several different sheep and goat breeds, some native and others imported from neighbouring countries and from Australia and New Zealand. The native black sheep, which is mostly found in the UAE and Oman, is preferred by consumers because it is relatively small (Djemali and Alhadrami 1997). A nucleus flock of this breed is now being multiplied in an in situ conservation programme at the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences Farm of UAE University. Rams will continuously be disseminated from the flock. This initiative will help the country conserve animal biodiversity.
A policy of tax exemption has been a key incentive for increasing agricultural production. As water is scarce and new sources are limited, emphasis has been put on water conservation and the rational use of land resources. Restoring natural vegetation cover, increasing the productive capacity of pastoral lands and searching for salt-tolerant plants are national priorities. Collaborative research networks have been established with international agencies such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) for research on date palms and their protection and on using saline water for crop and fodder production.
To improve livestock productivity in the UAE in a sustainable way, a complete strategy, including technical and organisational components, should be implemented.
Djemali M. and Alhadrami G. 1997. Considerations beyond breeding goals in breeding sheep in relation to the environment. Meeting of the Sub-Network on Animal Resources, FAO-CIHEAM Network of Cooperative Research on Sheep and Goats, 9–11 March 1997, Toulouse, France.
FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations). 1997. United Arab Emirates. World Food Summit follow-up. Draft strategy for national agricultural development, Horizon 2010. Policy Assistance Branch, FAO Regional Office for the Near East, Cairo.
MAF (Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, UAE). 1994. Annual Statistical Bulletin. Abu Dhabi, UAE.
