The Union Cooperative has held talks with around 300 local farms, offering products not previously familiar from local farms, such as wild blueberries and local bananas. The Emirates Consumers Association confirmed a notable diversity in food products, vegetables, and fruits, supported by the expansion of supply companies in diversifying imports from different countries. During a field visit to the Union Cooperative's branch in Al Warqa, Dubai, the association explained that the diversity in goods, vegetables, and fruits supported price stability in markets, providing more alternatives and choices for consumers. It confirmed that suppliers' efforts to inject large quantities of goods have boosted consumer confidence. At the same time, the Union Cooperative revealed a change in consumer shopping patterns, characterized by buying only household needs and not stockpiling. A board member of the Emirates Consumers Association, Jassem Al Ali, said: 'The association has observed a significant increase in the diversity of food products, vegetables, and fruits in markets, which in turn helped stabilize prices in general markets, despite the price increases witnessed in many global markets in recent periods, affected by political tensions in the region.' He added to 'Emirates Today': 'The expansion of supply companies in importing from different countries of origin has increased the volume of supply and increased the options and alternatives of goods for consumers, whether in terms of types or prices.' Al Ali confirmed that 'the efforts of the state and concerned bodies in protecting consumers and monitoring markets have contributed to spreading consumer awareness, which, along with the increase in product diversity and availability, has promoted rational shopping among consumers and not buying goods beyond need, amid rising consumer confidence, the abundance of supply, and the choices in markets.' For his part, the CEO of the Union Cooperative, Mohammed Al Hashemi, said: 'Markets have witnessed a remarkable diversity in the types of vegetables and fruits displayed during the recent period, supported by an increase in imports from different countries.' He pointed out that, for example, the cooperative's sales outlets currently offer six different types of onions at varied prices and options. He confirmed that 'the increase in diversity has contributed to a large abundance in the supply of goods and supported the stability of prices in the food products sector, especially vegetables and fruits, in addition to the supply from local farms.' He revealed that the Union Cooperative has increased its contracts with local farms to increase the volume of supply in larger quantities and is conducting supply contract negotiations with around 300 local farms, providing products not previously familiar in markets from local farms, including types such as wild blueberries and bananas, which are types not commonly grown in the UAE. He continued: 'The change in the consumption pattern is also reflected in not stockpiling goods, but rather buying household needs, especially in light of distance learning, which has increased some patterns of purchasing food goods, given the higher rates of preparing meals at home.' In the same context, a consultant and consumer protection expert, Ameera Al Mahdi, pointed to an increase in the diversity of food products and vegetables in markets recently at rates that may exceed previous stages in many types, due to the expansion of suppliers in diversifying import sources from different countries in large quantities. She confirmed that the great diversity of goods and the increase in product availability have contributed to the stability of food prices in general in local markets, despite price increases that occurred in many global markets, pointing to the announcement by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of a global increase in commodity prices last March by 2.4% compared to February 2026.
