“The Middle East May Experience A Dramatic Shift In Fortunes Because Of Vertical Farming”: Abdul Samad Patchayan

The Middle East faces a multitude of dangers to stability and progress, including food shortages. There is a greater chance of widespread starvation as a result of the disruption of agricultural production caused by conflicts in many nations. In addition, the region's low agricultural output can be attributed to its paucity of arable land, water, and protection from the effects of extreme weather. The global food system is under stress due to several factors, including high levels of food imports, unhealthy diets, food loss and waste, economic shocks, global food crises, shifting energy costs, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

To combat these serious dangers, there must be a bottom-up revision of the global food system in conjunction with cooperation from international actors. The Middle East can play a pivotal role in providing a sustainable, affordable, nutritious, and inclusive food system for its people by focusing on shared global concerns.

Strategic partnerships between regional governments and other nations, international organisations, research institutes, universities, farmers' groups, and private businesses are needed to fund critical needs. Preserving biodiversity, reducing the effects of climate change, sponsoring research into ways to increase agricultural output through technology, and so on are all examples of such projects. A food security minister should be nominated to lead the charge.

Commenting further on the subject, Abdul Samad Patchayan, Founder and CEO, of Mayasim Agritech Services stated, “The potential for the reticle fund in the MENA area is enormous, and the scope of the project is correspondingly expansive. Because protecting our precious natural resources, such as fresh water and arable land, is of paramount importance. Firstly, there is a great need because the Middle East relies heavily on food imports. Between eighty-five and ninety per cent of food articles are estimated to be imported. What's more, we have a lot of sunshine that you can use to your advantage to devise a superior solution that will be adequate for both our current needs and those of future generations.”

Abdul floated its venture to enter the agriculture domain and till now, he has been striking the right chords for its business operations. “My family experienced the same layoffs, terminations, and food shortages as everyone else did during the pandemic years of 2020. My mother decided to cultivate her homegrown produce. I thought about how I could improve my methods to meet the needs of my customers, who use my product daily. I did some digging and reading and came up with the suggestion for using space-farming technology to produce such crops that are grown using similar techniques in interplanetary rocket travel. So then I thought, well, if it's feasible in space, maybe it's conceivable on Earth. So, I took to the books to learn more. And as it happens, this is something that has been going on for quite some time,” explained Abdul.

Vertical Farming Can Beef Up The Agriculture Domain

The GCC spends about $29.5 billion annually on food, despite importing 85% of its food. It's undeniable that the region's food security improves when its economy and government are stable. However, extreme heat, a lack of water, and a scarcity of arable land necessitate an inventive strategy for ensuring food safety. One such development is vertical farming, a game-changer in the realm of food production technologies. The adoption of such a strategy will increase people's availability of healthy, reasonably priced meals. It would open up a lot of investment opportunities, improve the environment, and employ thousands of people.

The objective of vertical farming is to make the most of current resources. People had one version of pumps and another version of life that was tailored to this item, so the technology that has been employed, has been around for a while. The most significant barriers to the widespread adoption of vertical farming are not inherent to the method itself.

“We need to talk about scale, and that requires millions of dollars. However, it is effective in terms of ensuring a steady supply of food. However, there is a long way to go before this technology can enter the mainstream consumer market of the future. So, the lights would be the most eye-catching technological feature. In this case, it's because the lighting quality is subpar, which would theoretically have no bearing on the expected output level from the manufacturing process,” said Abdul.

People are more aware now than they have been in earlier years, and as a result, there is a great demand for information about this topic. There have been discussions on standardisation, including a meeting and a session with the Ministry of Economy to discuss incorporating vertical farming into educational curricula.

Technology Can Harness Vertical Farming

Smart sensors are used in vertical farms to keep track of technical variables such as climate conditions (temperature, carbon dioxide levels, oxygen levels, lighting, humidity, nutrient levels, pH, pest management, watering, harvesting, and so on), as well as operational details like these. Hydroponic, aeroponic, and aquatic growing are common examples of methods used in regulated environments. Furthermore, cameras and thermal imaging can be used in controlled environment agriculture to monitor plant development, temperature, and other parameters. Currently, leafy greens, herbs, microgreens, and vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, melons, and sweet corn grow exceptionally well in controlled environment systems.

Another technology that is very common in this vertical is the dosing system, utilizing an automated-dosing system to administer nutrients to the plants while keeping tabs on the nutrient solution is a typical method used in vertical farming. Dosing systems that are fully automated can constantly monitor the reservoir's water temperature, pH, and EC levels to ensure that the correct amount of nutrients are added. Typically, peristaltic pumps draw the necessary amount of nutrients from the source and deposit them in the reservoir via the dosing mechanism.

“Yes, technologies are being put into place if you're still interested in vertical farming. Similarly, we have a controlled environment that oversees the entire plant's growth cycle, thereby replacing a human farmer,” informed Abdul.

Abdul likes to travel across the globe during his free time. It's not often that he's not working, but when he does, he's a regular man who enjoys hanging out with friends and family.