Emirati farmer Ahmed Mohammed Gharib is a celebration of over 50 years of mango cultivation in UAE, and at 82 years of age, he is still devoting his time to mango endeavors. His current crop is on display at the Khorfakkan Mango Festival, where visitors and locals can discover an array of locally grown mango varieties. Gharib started growing mangoes many years ago when he experienced the fruit’s fragrance. He was thrilled by the taste of mangoes and decided to visit a region to gather mango seeds and saplings to plant in his orchard in the UAE after returning from India to see them for the first time.
Through trial and error and years of testing he recognized that mango production had to particularly adapt to the country’s climate. He, too, ‘cross-bred‘ a number of different mango varieties to create new types more appropriate to planting conditions in his country. Currently, Gharib has farms in Al Bidya and Fujairah with mango trees growing and citrus fruits and palm date trees. Farm workers help with daily activities but he is very active in supervising the irrigation, fertilisation, pruning of the crops and management of activities.
Experience and patience are the key elements to successful farming, according to Gharib. A vital aspect to successful orchards, and a quality fruit crop, is knowing when to irrigate, fertilize and prune trees, he explained. In his farms two-typed mango varieties are grown Arabi Hamadh and Hindi Hamadh, Lumi, Fifai and Arabi Moza. Depending on the weather, anywhere from 5,000 to 12,000kg could be harvested each year.
Although he is an agriculture expert and has spent over half a century in the profession, Gharib mentions his eagerness for mango farming has never waned. Another of his favorite activities is seeing the fruit ripen every season. Apart from agriculture, Gharib also frequently comes to the UAE to showcase locally grown produce by attending agricultural exhibitions and mango festivals. On this occasion he is presenting his crop at the Khorfakkan Mango Festival, which is taking place from 26-28 June this year. He says such events contribute significantly to promoting the capabilities of Emirati agriculture and instilling interest in the younger generation to pursue a career in real estate and farming and help shape the agricultural future.
