“ekthaar” is Bin Dasmal Group’s own newly formed Sustainable Farming Solutions in line with the execution of the latest international green building standards and regulations.
This business vertical is created to address the need of the hour utilizing the Group’s strength of strong access to MEP and Civil projects to make a difference positively by addressing the challenges of regional food shortages and insecurity by implementing the 3R concept of reduce, reuse, and recycle to effectively contribute to the agricultural sector responsibly.
As part of the numerous sustainable initiatives undertaken by ekthaar, a construction waste management program was put into effect which promoted the use of the various waste materials from the projects in the assembly of the green house, net house and indoor vertical farming infrastructure. This approach has helped ekthaar in providing cost effective sustainable farming solutions to its various customers across the industry.
“ekthaar” has implemented its projects by effectively utilizing the unused spaces in its Group compound. For instance, the net farm was a result of converting an existing scrapyard into an area capable of producing fresh produce by harvesting it. Customers can fully make use of the extensive knowledge base which ekthaar has to offer especially since the construction industry is diversifying its interests and making a transition towards implementing sustainable agricultural endeavours as part of their services offered.
The ekthaar sustainable farming solutions portfolio currently consists of three fully operational silos capable of producing fresh produce to its consumers. Harvests from the net farm include eggplant, corn, cucumber, okra and tomatoes while the indoor vertical farming unit is responsible for the production of microgreens, leafy vegetables and herbs. The green house with its dutch bucket system in place produces kale, cherry tomatoes, and jalapenos.
“ekthaar” offers fresh produce all through the year by using only 5% of the actual soil and water while being able to save 25-30% of the total construction cost by reusing construction waste materials and as a result becoming a commercially viable solution for tackling the region’s food security issues.
Company Profile
Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) is an advanced and intensive form of hydroponically based agriculture where plants grow within a controlled environment to optimize horticultural practices. It is a combination of horticultural and engineering techniques that optimize crop production, crop quality, and production efficiency.
In comparison to traditional agricultural practices, application of CEA methodology ensures effective water usage in the cultivation of crops all year round. The indoor vertical farming initiative undertaken by ekthaar minimizes the use of soil offers Micro-climate facilitation which result in faster crop cycles and year-round growth while protecting the crops from sudden temperature changes pests and plant disease.
The ekthaar has successfully implemented a net farm within the group’s premises by responsibly making use of its unused areas and converting the same for net farm cultivation and harvesting purposes.
The process involved the complete disposal of all waste materials in the selected area to make space for the net farm.
On 5th July 2022, in line with the “Save Soil” initiative, ekthaar team has inaugurated its net farm by planting the first germination pods in the soil.
ekthaar has completed the construction of its polyhouse using construction waste material while ensuring awareness to the project teams involved to effectively reduce reuse and recycle site waste material. The crops are provided with sufficient ventilation through the installed evaporative cooling system.
The hydroponic system in place is the Dutch bucket in which two or more growing containers are connected to the same irrigation and drainage lines. This is an incredibly water and nutrient efficient method, ideal for growing heavy-feeding and vining plants like tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants etc.
Ekthaar Agricultural LLC
P.O. Box: 5389,
Dubai Investments Park,
United Arab Emirates.
+971 4 806 7676
+971 4 806 7677
info@ekthaar.ae
www.ekthaar.ae