The Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Welfare has provided more than 1,000 trees to four islands in Shaviyani Atoll under the "Food Security Programme", aiming to strengthen food security across the country.
The Ministry is actively working to enhance measures against climate-change related disasters and to support sustainable food systems.
In a post on social media, the Minister of Agriculture, Dr Mariyam Mariya, stated that local councils have been requesting the Ministry to provide plants to improve food security in the atolls. The Minister said the Ministry’s centre in Hanimaadhoo, Haa Dhaalu Atoll, is providing plants to these islands. As part of these efforts, a total of 1159 plants have been delivered to four islands of Shaviyani Atoll this month, she stated.
The plants were distributed to both households and offices. Details of islands and number of plants sent in Shaviyani Atoll are as follows:
* Funadhoo - 324 trees
* Lhaimagu - 378 trees
* Narudhoo - 254 trees
* Bilehfahi - 203 trees
The types of plants sent under the Food Security Programme include:
* Breadfruit tree
* Waterapple tree
* Moringa tree
* Yam tree
The Ministry said it provided 50 breadfruit trees to Hanimaadhoo Council earlier in June this year under similar efforts.
The government has also announced plans to establish an agricultural economic zone to further enhance food security in the Maldives. Efforts are also being made to increase agricultural production to increase food security. The Ministry of Agriculture is providing technical assistance to farmers to reduce dependence on food imports and expand the Maldives’ agricultural sector.