Sharjah24: His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, attended the ceremony of second harvesting season of wheat farm in Mleiha, and inaugurated the farm's administrative building.

Prior to the start of the ceremony, His Highness toured the accompanying events area, observing samples of Sharjah's soil and the grains used, as well as the milling process of the crop using "Al Raha" and modern equipment. His Highness also learned about the various methods of dough preparation and baking, as  food products prepared from the production of the "Wheat Farm" were presented . His Highness was acquainted with the traditional and modern equipment and machinery used in the cultivation and harvesting process, which are part of the productive farms support initiative aimed at providing safe and sustainable solutions to support farmers in contributing to food security.
Afterward, His Highness rang the bell, signaling the start of the wheat harvesting process at the wheat farm. His Highness observed the wheat harvesting process, which was carried out using the latest modern machinery and equipment. The process involved three machines: the first one separated the grains from the straw, the second one collected the straw, and the last one compressed the wheat straw into bales. His Highness received a sample of the first harvested wheat grains from the second season.
Then, the Ruler of Sharjah moved to the administrative building of the farm, unveiling the commemorative plaque, marking the official opening. He toured the building, which spans an area of 1670 square meters, and explored its facilities, including the administrative offices and the first-of-its-kind Biotechnology Laboratory in the UAE. His Highness listened to a detailed explanation about the laboratory's work and its new devices and equipment that contribute to physiological measurements and genetic analysis of wheat. He also visited the control room and the farm monitoring facilities.
The Ruler of Sharjah visited the experimental farm, which houses 550 non-genetically modified soft wheat varieties. His Highness familiarized himself with the research efforts conducted to study and monitor different types of wheat suitable for the local environment. Additionally, His Highness learned about the wheat hybridization program aimed at improving the strains to achieve the "Sharjah 1" variety.
His Highness attended the ceremony held in the administrative building, where he and the audience watched a documentary depicting the farm's evolution. The integration of the second and third phases into a single stage expanded the farm's axes to 37, covering a total cultivated area of 1428 hectares. The event featured a musical performance titled "Thanks, Baba Sultan," presented by children expressing gratitude to His Highness, the Ruler of Sharjah, for his directives and substantial efforts supporting the food security project.
At the event's conclusion, His Highness honoured government entities, companies, and sponsors whose support significantly contributed to the success of Mleiha's wheat farm's second agricultural season. He presented them with commemorative shields and participated in group photos.
The second-phase harvest reflects the implementation of developmental plans and promising strategies by the Sharjah government. These plans materialise through the establishment of agricultural and animal projects, the creation and management of pastures, development of production capacities, research, planning, and the application of modern technologies. This contributes to enhancing food security, adapting to climate change, and encouraging the private sector to invest in agricultural and animal projects, aligning with His Highness's vision to increase self-sufficiency in Sharjah and the UAE.
The wheat farm utilises the latest tools and technological means to achieve optimal irrigation management, aiming for a 30% savings through scientifically managing the irrigation process. This not only saves time and effort but also enhances monitoring of irrigation device and pump performance, detects faults, and installs underground soil sensors at a depth of 60 cm for daily readings to verify the irrigation process's efficiency at different depths. Additionally, satellite data provides daily reports on the farm, irrigation operations, plant health, weather forecasts, including rain, wind speed and direction, humidity, actual rainfall, and expected water loss rates for the plants.

During the ceremony, His Highness was accompanied by Sheikh Khaled Bin Essam Al Qasimi, Chairman of Department of Civil Aviation- Sharjah, Sheikh Mohammed bin Humaid Al Qasimi,  the chairman of Sharjah Department of Statistics and Community Development, Her Excellency Dr. Amna Al Shamsi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, His Excellency Dr Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi, Chairman of Sharjah Consultative Council, and several senior officials, heads, and directors of local government departments and authorities.