A new line of local produce is being made available in Abu Dhabi over the next months. To go with the sale of locally produced fruit and vegetables a new brand, Local Harvest, is being launched to try and persuade consumers of the value of local production.

"Buying local is something that is just catching on in the UAE," said Chris Hirst, chief executive of the Farmer's Service Centre, the government body responsible for the modernisation of the Emirate's farms. "And here in Abu Dhabi, local products haven't always been marketed as such."

The launch has been planned for two years and intends, eventually, to offer consumers full food traceability.

The branded products are brought in from 590 farms across the emirate. All the food will have to be "A Class" - the highest quality in terms of taste, size and colour.

"The brand is an attempt to highlight the quality of products from Abu Dhabi's farms and we hope it will reassure the consumer about the freshness, safety, quality and consistency of what they are buying," Mr Hirst said.

So far the range includes honey, cucumbers, tomatoes, mushrooms, courgettes, potatoes and cabbage. They can be found at the centre's 23 Souq stores across Abu Dhabi, as well as some larger stores such as LuLu, Carrefour and Spinneys in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.