Abu Dhabi’s rising livestock and dairy industry, which is part of the agriculture sector has shown substantial business activity in the last year showing the strides made and in the sector which has huge potential to achieve food security.
Statistics Centre-Abu Dhabi or Scad, which gathers statistics in the Emirate, has recently surveyed the livestock and dairy farms in Abu Dhabi, which have been set up by leading business houses. The survey which was part of an exercise which would provide the decision makers with critical numbers that would help them take steps to achieve food security and lead to more investment in the sector, which has immense commercial value.
The survey reveals an increase of 34.9 per cent growth in the production of eggs in 2012 to approximately 203.1 million eggs, valuing worth Dh83.6 million.
The survey covered five layer farms having an estimated combined capacity of 1.6 million chickens. By contrast, a fall of 1.4 per cent year-on-year is reported in poultry meat production to 17,100 tonnes in 2012. The 2011 poultry meat production was valued at Dh230.7 million.
The survey covered seven broiler farms having an estimated combined capacity of 1.5 million chickens. The survey also covered 13 dairy farms with an estimated combined capacity to breed 22,000 cattle, revealing a rise of 8.2 per cent year-on-year in the total number of cattle to 18,907 head in 2012 and 9304 calf births in the year.
