Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture, Dr. Mohamed Shainee has stated that around 440 tonnes of fruits and vegetables can be produced within a year under the government initiated Import Substitute Programme.
In an exclusive interview to PSM news, Minister Dr. Mohamed Shainee said that the initiative of the government aims to deliver benefits to individuals from agriculture. The Minister mentioned that under the programme, individuals will be trained and developed to implement the best practices of agriculture. The first phase of the programme commenced in Gan Island of Laamu Atoll.
It is an electoral pledge of the government to facilitate the development of the fisheries and agriculture sector to secure a sustainable socio-economic future for the Maldivian people. In this regard, from 2013 onwards, the government has initiated several programmes to develop the sector.
Government targets to reduce the imported amount of papaya, watermelon, cucumber, banana and pumpkin by harvesting the products in Maldives. About USD5.6 million was spent to import these five products to the Maldives in 2016, as per the statistics of the Maldives Customs Service. By providing a land of 37 hectares to harvest these products, 25 percent of the imports can be decreased, according to Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture.
A lot of agricultural products are imported to Maldives, including various products that can easily be produced in the country by local farmers.