Abu-Dhabi-based Pure Harvest Smart Farms, a transformational, technology-enabled arid climate agribusiness hosted a grand product launch event at its farm on November 28^th. Attended by Minister of State for Food Security Mariam bint Mohammed Saeed Hareb Al Almheiri, the event was to announce the first harvest and retail market entry of its  tomatoes from the inaugural high-tech greenhouse in Nahel, United Arab Emirates. Pure Harvest aims to be part of the solution to the region’s growing food security, water conservation, and sustainability challenges.

“Agricultural facilities such as Pure Harvest Smart Farms are instrumental in enabling the UAE to achieve independent food production and food security for its citizens," says the minister. "I am therefore delighted to be able to congratulate the farm’s dedicated management and team members on their first crop and market entry of premium tomatoes. Pure Harvest Smart Farms is the perfect example of a facility that can help the UAE meet its Future Food Security goals," she adds. 

The inaugural greenhouse was developed in partnership with CerthonTM Greenhouse Solutions, a leading Dutch designer and builder of modern greenhouses. Indoor temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide levels are carefully balanced and automated using a climate management computer system developed by PrivaTM, a leader in horticulture and building automation.

“As a local start-up, Pure Harvest truly expresses the vision of the Netherlands of sustainability through innovation. We are proud that a total of 6 Dutch companies are involved in this project," says Ambassador Frank Mollen, Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates from the Kingdom of the Netherlands, who also attended the launch. In the Gulf region, the Dutch mission has recently launched their new campaign "Dutch Connection in the Gulf - Uniting Water, Energy, Food," that offers new - yet unidentified - opportunities. 

“I am extremely proud of what my team has achieved with this first-of-its-kind growing solution," says Pure Harvest's Co-founder and CEO Sky Kurtz. "We are overwhelmed by the strong feedback from early customers regarding our products. The tomatoes truly ‘taste like they should’!  I’m excited to begin our expansion in early-2019 and to diversify our production, including always-available, sustainably-grown strawberries."