Urban vertical farm project was launched; allows customers to obtain fresh food products grown in the Kingdom

The Saudi Press Agency reports that the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture has launched an urban vertical farm initiative for food markets and businesses. The project, the first of its kind in the region, enables customers to obtain fresh food cultivated in the Kingdom. 

Ahmed Al-Eyada, the ministry's undersecretary, attended the project's debut, which was carried out by a prominent bioagriculture business. 

Riyadh's Danube Markets is home to the project's first vertical farm. Commercial display units in the market contain a wide range of plants and agricultural products, including lettuce, coriander, parsley, and broccoli, many of which were previously imported.

Over the next five years, the ministry plans to introduce around 600 to 1,000 farms in the retail system throughout all marketplaces in the Kingdom. These farms are expected to supply 20-40% of domestic demand for agricultural products and vegetables. 

Vertical urban farms in stores strive to conserve natural resources, maintain ecosystem balance, and increase long-term productivity. Shortening supply chains reduces loss and waste while also introducing a new farming model tailored to the Kingdom's local farmers and enterprises.

The project provides consumers with numerous benefits, including high-quality vegetables and fruits that preserve their freshness and nutritional value for up to five times longer than traditional techniques, according to the SPA. 

Urban farms also encourage employment localization and increased earnings possibilities. They also help to overcome the logistical problems of moving agricultural products to customers. 

Vertical farming not only conserves agricultural area, but it also cuts labor and water consumption by 80 to 90 percent when compared to traditional farming, resulting in a year-round high-yield agricultural environment.