Business & Money | Thursday 13 October, 2016 1:41 pm |

Talah Board announced its ‘Cash-for-palm-waste’ initiative at the Dibba Palm Exhibition, which is taking place from the 12th to 15th October. The industrial company is encouraging farming and agricultural entities to register their participation while at the Dibba Exhibition. This opportunity will help the date palm industry discard of palm tree trimmings sustainably and in compliance with the environmental laws of UAE. Talah Board will offer AED85 per tonne of palm waste. The waste can be deposited at a Talah Board palm collection site, or will be picked up by the company if the waste exceeds a certain quantity.

Mr. Rami Farah, CEO of Talah Board commented on the offer:

“We first announced this initiative at the Liwa Date Festival this summer; it was met with much enthusiasm. Members of the date palm industry are aware of how strong the fibres in palm waste are, and that it does not biodegrade easily. Disposal options are limited and dealing with the waste can be burdensome. We are offering date farms and other date and palm industries cash for this waste. The Dibba Palm Festival celebrates the heritage of date palms in the country and unites the industries esteemed members. We believe that our industrial operation celebrates the palm tree and its long history of providing shelter and sustenance to the people of this region.”

Talah Board will recycle the date palm tree trimmings into high quality wooden board products to answer the demand for this product in UAE and regional markets. On a yearly basis, the UAE produces 500,000 tonnes of palm waste; roughly ten percent is required annually for Talah Board’s industrial operation. The company’s operations are aligned with both the UAE Vision 2021 and the Abu Dhabi Vision 2030 in terms of bringing sustainable and industrial innovation to a non-oil sector.

Mr. Farah continued:‎

“To sustain the health of the palm tree, it is regularly trimmed.  Typically there is a cutting season, which runs from September to March.  This is why this campaign initiative is so important at this time of year.  While maintaining the health of the tree, date palm owners are creating the waste that they then have to discard. By giving them the option to sell it to us, they are benefiting their trees and eliminating a burden simultaneously. We will be producing a locally made, high quality wooden board product that can reduce the amount of wooden board imports into the country. The benefits of this business model are numerous- farmers can protect the health of their trees, earn cash, solve a waste management problem, and we can all help our environment and economy.”