The Supreme Organising Committee of the Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Agricultural Excellence Award will hold a ceremony honouring the winners of its third edition on 25 February 2025 at Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental in Abu Dhabi. The event will be hosted under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the Presidential Court and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA), and will be attended by senior officials and key partners who have played a role in supporting the award.
The ceremony will honour farmers, livestock breeders, and commercial farms across various main and sub-categories, as well as recognise supporting partners. The recognition reflects the importance of collaboration among stakeholders to enhance and develop the agricultural sector in the UAE and ensure its sustainability for future generations.
The organising committee confirmed that the third edition of the Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Agricultural Excellence Award, held under the theme An Innovative Farmer and Breeder with a Sustainable Vision, has had significant participation since registration opened on 11 September 2024. A total of 451 entries were received across the award’s various categories, which are divided into four main categories comprising 13 sub-categories.
The committee explained that the specialised panels have recently completed the judging, evaluation, and field visits to select the finalists, in accordance with the award’s criteria and conditions. The total prize pool for the winners is AED10 million, distributed across the main and sub-categories, as well as accompanying competitions. AED5.3 million will be awarded to winners in the main categories, which include the Best Plant Farm and Animal Farm Award, comprising Best Open Farm, Best Greenhouse Farm, Best Fruit Production Farm, Best Organic Farm, as well as Productive Livestock farms, Small Producers, Beekeepers, and Aquaculture Breeders. Then the Commercial Farm Award, comprising Commercial Plant Farm and Commercial Animal Production Farm sub-categories. Then the Agricultural Innovation Award, honouring innovations comprising the plant and animal sectors. Lastly, the Outstanding Female Farmer and Breeder, comprising two sub-categories: Best Outstanding Female Farmer and Best Outstanding Female Livestock Breeder, aimed at empowering women in the agricultural sector.
Prizes worth AED4.4 million will also be awarded to more than 400 winners in the accompanying competitions held at the award’s pavilion during Sheikh Zayed Festival in Al Wathba. These included five specialised festivals: the Al Wathba Agricultural Festival, Al Wathba Food Festival, Al Wathba Livestock Festival, Al Wathba Honey Festival, and Al Wathba Flower Festival, along with 87 competitions and seven livestock auctions.
The organising committee highlighted that participation in the third edition reflects the positive engagement with the award and its importance in supporting the agricultural sector at national level. It also underscores the leadership’s commitment to honouring farmers and breeders, encouraging innovation and sustainable development to achieve agricultural and environmental sustainability goals and enhance the sector’s contribution to the UAE’s economic growth.
In its first and second editions, the Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Agricultural Excellence Award attracted 676 participants from across the UAE, with 107 farmers and livestock breeders winning prizes. The total prize value awarded was AED16.7 million, demonstrating the award’s popularity and its pivotal role in promoting agricultural excellence in the UAE.
The Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Agricultural Excellence Award is one of the pioneering initiatives aimed at encouraging farmers and livestock breeders to adopt modern technologies and implement sustainable practices. This contributes to the development of the local agricultural sector and aligns with the objectives of the National Food Security Strategy 2051. The award also seeks to foster innovation, enhance the quality of plant and animal agricultural products, competitiveness, and attract younger generations to the agricultural sector.
