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JEDDAH: The Azka Farmers Market, recently organized in Hayy Jameel in collaboration between Azka Foods and Art Jameel, connected the wider Jeddah community with local vendors and farmers committed to sustainability and ethical food practices.

The event, which took place on May 24 and 25, provided visitors with the opportunity to taste fresh agricultural produce, environmentally friendly products and specialized programs showcasing the region’s agricultural diversity.

The market featured a variety of farmers and producers from across the Kingdom, including Aysh Academy, Abazeer, Naqwat Al-Nanaa Farm, Ghiras Alsahra, Manahil Al-Magrabi, Alnahal Aljwal, Zaki Salem Farms, Al-Sadan Farm, Bee Ways, Honest, Honey wild fig, Nada Soap, Ebrahim Date Shop, Baha Honey, Ali Aref Farm and Shamsa.

Ahmad Zaki Kamel, founder of Azka Foods and azkabasket.com, said they started the market with just six suppliers and that number grew to 12 and then to 18 when they hosted the event for the third time. Now in their sixth market and fourth collaboration with Hayy Jameel, they have 55 vendors, producers and chefs.

While their first four markets focused on producers mainly from Jeddah, Medina, Mecca and Taif, they now cover all 13 regions of Saudi Arabia, offering a much wider selection of products and products.

Speaking about his vision, Kamel told Arab News: “The reason for founding Azka was to achieve an ethical food system and self-sufficiency, and we are getting closer to this goal. The market provides an opportunity to connect the community with these amazing producers from across Saudi Arabia.”

He added: “Bringing them together on one platform is crucial as many of these manufacturers face significant challenges in marketing their high-quality products.

“While some have their own sales channels, having a unified platform allows them to support each other. This is one of the main advantages of the Azka Basket platform – it acts as a continuous farmers market.”

For those who want to support local farmers and are looking for fresh produce, the Azka Basket website is one way to stay connected with producers and receive deliveries twice a week.

Participant Sami Magrabi, co-founder of Manahil Al-Magrabi, said: “Our company, started by my father 40 years ago, specializes in the production of organic honey according to the highest production standards. We use mobile apiaries during the season to produce most of our honey.”

He added: “Since each type of flower or tree blooms at a certain time of year, we move our bees to those places when they are blooming because it is unfair to keep the bees in one place. Although we are based in Riyad and operate there on a smaller scale, this event allows us to operate on a larger scale.”

Magrabi said the fair is “a great opportunity to connect with others and showcase our products to a wider audience.”

Sumaia Showail, founder of Aysh Academy, who has been involved with the market since its inception, sources fresh vegetables, fruits and beans directly from local farms to create the menu.

“We love being a part of the market and are excited to see so many people interested in and supporting the organic food industry and food culture. It is also a great opportunity for suppliers to gain visibility and engage with the community,” she added.

Another retailer, Fatima Nawawi, founder of Shamsa products, said: “Our specialty is creating natural skincare products with a vision to raise community awareness on the benefits of natural ingredients. The main ingredient of our products is camel tallow… it is the purest form of fat.

Nawawi said the market gave them an opportunity to showcase their brand. “Azka Farm has a great team that works with each brand and does an amazing job raising awareness, helping keep all farms and business owners working together and building a healthy community.”

Nawawi also gave a speech where she talked about her journey to founding Shamsa.

Eiman Elnaiem, head of public programs at Hayy Jameel, said: “This release includes a variety of seasonal, organic products, from date seed coffee grounds and herb-infused waters, to various grains, legumes and honey of all types and flavors. I am always impressed and delighted by the development of the market, which reflects Saudi Arabia’s rich agricultural heritage and biodiversity.

She said Art Jameel “not only supports passionate entrepreneurs, chefs, farmers and producers, but provides them with a platform to actively promote sustainability, well-being and ethics in the way we look at, produce and consume the food and food around us.” products”.

The fair was accompanied by talks, workshops and film screenings aimed at connecting community members. Organic composting, recycling, date processing and beekeeping were also discussed.

The discussion, led by Fahad Alysi from Wadi Nawal Farm in Taif, focused on organic farming methods and the benefits of disposing of organic waste.

In addition to the ‘Know Your Farmer’ question and answer session, visitors were able to learn about agricultural heritage and the importance of dates through insights provided by representatives of the Ebrahim Store for Dates in Najran.