Women Farmer Field Schools to Begin Across UAE in September

A new field-based training programme for women farmers and beekeepers will begin across several emirates in September, covering sustainable agriculture, honey production and the business side of running a farm.

The Women Farmer Field Schools programme is being introduced by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment under its wider ‘Empowering Women Farmers’ initiative, in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations.

A virtual introductory session will take place on August 27th before practical training begins at farms and agricultural sites the following month. The curriculum draws on international Farmer Field School practices, with an emphasis on skills participants can apply directly to their own projects.

Training will cover sustainable palm tree management, red palm weevil and other pest control, irrigation and fertilisation, and the cultivation of fruit and vegetables in greenhouses and open fields.

Women beekeepers will also receive instruction in apiary management, honey production and the development of value-added products. Agricultural record-keeping and economic evaluation will form another part of the programme, aimed at helping participants assess costs, improve efficiency and strengthen the long-term viability of their farms.

Participants will also have opportunities to showcase their products at local and international agricultural exhibitions and festivals, while younger participants can connect with the Emirates Youth Council for Agriculture.

The programme builds on an earlier Women Farmer Field School held in Abu Samrah, Al Ain, where three participating farmers later won the Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Award for Agricultural Excellence.