Ibrahim Saleem (Abu Dhabi)
Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Presidential Affairs and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority, the first edition of the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Security Week was launched yesterday and will continue until November 25.
The week’s activities began with the launch of the first “Agrithon” for agriculture in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi (Agrithon), which opens the door to creative competition for university students at the state level to develop innovative solutions in the field of software, and the use of algorithms and artificial intelligence to promote and develop the agricultural sector, food and biosecurity.
Mozah Suhail Al Muhairi, Executive Director of the Strategy and Performance Sector at the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority, said: “The Authority was keen to launch the Agriculture Hackathon (Agrithon), at the forefront of the week’s activities, in recognition of the importance of spreading a culture of innovation and creative thinking, and benefiting from creative ideas. and young talents in the field of software and the use of algorithms and artificial intelligence, explaining that the “hackathon” opens the door to creative competition for university students at the state level to motivate them to develop innovative service and development solutions and ideas that serve the goals of the “Authority” in promoting and developing the agriculture, food and biosecurity sector, and serving the objectives of the government Abu Dhabi in achieving comprehensive and sustainable development.
She added: “We aim by establishing this (hackathon) to provide an educational and creative platform for university students to compete freely in a framework of transparency and integrity. With the aim of creating software that can be used in the various fields of work (the Authority), stressing the commitment of the Authority to provide all forms of support to enhance competition in the Hackathon space, and to develop and adopt creative works related to artificial intelligence technology in all areas of the Authority’s work.
She explained that the Authority will honor innovative applications by participating students and adopt them as solutions that help meet the challenges of agriculture, food and biosecurity, improve services and achieve customer satisfaction and happiness, in addition to adopting best practices to develop government services, in line with the vision and plan of the Abu Dhabi government and the program The National Artificial Intelligence, which is in line with the development and national aspirations that embody the best competitive environment in the country.
The “Agriculture Hackathon” is being held for the first time in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi as one of the main events within the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Security Week, the largest event for sustainable agriculture, food and biosecurity in the Middle East and North Africa, and its activities extend throughout this week. Students from the Mohamed bin Zayed Universities for Artificial Intelligence, the American University of Sharjah and Khalifa, and other state universities, including masters and bachelor’s students, compete in developing software and using algorithms and artificial intelligence to develop solutions to meet some challenges in the field of agriculture and security Food and Biosecurity: The first challenge is the biosecurity risks associated with plants and animals, while the second challenge is concerned with food security, specifically measuring and reducing food losses during production and processing stages, in addition to reducing food waste during consumption.
For her part, Aisha Al Shamsi, Director of Statistics and Analytics Department at the Authority, confirmed that the Agricultural Challenge Hackathon is the first challenge program for artificial intelligence in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and the program is attended by a number of universities in the country, including the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence and the American University of Sharjah. The participants are looking for solutions to the challenges facing the agricultural and food sector, the most important of which are the challenges of facing risks and challenges related to biosecurity, pointing out that there is a strategic plan in the Authority for artificial intelligence programs, and algorithms for artificial intelligence have been developed, training programs.
For his part, Dr. Yasser Mohamed Al-Taher, an epidemiologist for the livestock sector at the authority, said that this step provides an opportunity for the federal authorities related to artificial intelligence to develop smart algorithm programs that contribute to enhancing biosecurity and food security in the Emirate.
For her part, the participant, Sharagha Rashid from the American University of Sharjah, expressed her happiness to participate in the Agri Thon organized by the Authority, and she studies computer engineering, and is part of a team consisting of 4 people, and we are working to find solutions to the problems facing the agricultural sector and food security, which were presented by « For his part, Abdul Ghafoor Haddad from Khalifa University said, we seek to develop solutions for farmers and consumers through the “hackathon”, to maintain food security and find a model that helps farmers and consumers, including appropriate planting times, quantities of feed to be given to animals, as well as appropriate times for harvest Reducing food waste.
Exhibition
The week will host the “Vive Middle East and Africa Animal Production” exhibition, which is related to the development of livestock, dairy production, poultry and table eggs. and international.
The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Security Week is supported by the Ministry of Presidential Affairs and the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, in addition to the support and sponsorship of the Department of Energy – Abu Dhabi, the Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council, and the companies “Etisalat”, “Salal”, “Elite Agro” and “Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Security Week”. National Feed, ANHP and Etihad Airways, in addition to media support and sponsorship for the Emirates News Agency, WAM.
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