ABU DHABI, Sep 9, 2002 (WAM) -- UAE-grown coffee could soon be a new flavour in the market if Ali Khamis Al Miherizi has his way. And he certainly seems well on his way to success, having established a plantation that has 400 healthy coffee trees. Following an experiment on one coffee plant, conducted at his home in Al Rashidiya in Dubai. Al Miherizi developed the idea of setting up a coffee plantation in Masafi, Ras Al Khaimah, the +Gulf News+ said in a report. Totally the result of this UAE national's personal initiative, the saplings planted early this year are growing rapidly. More important, they appear to be thriving. "The weather and soil are suitable for the plants, which need neither pesticides nor too much water," Al Miherizi said. "The plants release a sticky substance with kills the pests or repels them. They also do not consume a lot of water - I assume because they are quite young at the moment. When they grow older they might need more water, and that is why I have chosen to grow them in Masafi." The innovative planter asserted his is the first full-fledged coffee farm in the UAE, but acknowledged a similar project - though on a smaller scale, and only on the experimental level, was carried out in Abu Dhabi some time ago. The coffee plants are propagated from trees already planted which have started to yield. "In January, I planted 200 saplings," Al Miherizi said. "Using cuttings from these growing trees, I planted another 200. I plan to make them 500 by the end of the year. Another advantage here is when the cuttings come from an older plant, the trees yield coffee berries sooner." After three years, he expects each coffee tree to produce up to two kilos of coffee beans, with each tree yielding a harvest twice a year. Al Miherizi said he has always been interested in collecting rare plants from different areas and experimenting on them to see if they adapt to this region. "Whenever I travel abroad, I always try to bring in new plants." As a farmer in Masafi which is famous for its farms and plants, he said, he has dealt with many types of trees. As with this coffee plant from Sri Lanka, he has brought in many plants from regions as diverse as Oman, India, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. He also wants to see new plants and trees being introduced to the region, and has found the Masafi area his favourite to push his experiments further. WAM-VV
