Minister of Fisheries, Marine Resources and Agriculture Zaha Waheed has highlighted the importance of strengthening the contribution of agriculture to the economy to enhance the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the Maldives.
Speaking on the occasion of National Farmer’s Day, Minister Zaha said the administration is undertaking several efforts to strengthen the agricultural sector and increase production. Noting it is essential to increase the contribution of agriculture to the local economy in order to enhance GDP, the minister said effective policies and mechanisms to sell agricultural produce to tourist facilities will create fruitful modes of income to local communities. She also highlighted the importance of increasing the technical capacity of farmers in order to generate an efficient source of income from agriculture.
Speaking on the efforts undertaken by the administration to enhance the agricultural sector of the Maldives, Minister Zaha noted 1,191 farmers have been trained under training programmes conducted in 22 different islands since the current administration assumed power in 2018. She also revealed an infrastructure project is set to be launched under the aid of International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD), to establish cold storages and packing facilities in 3 northern atolls. She also highlighted the contribution of Agro National Corporation, established by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih earlier this year to help local farmers sell their produce.
The National Farmer’s Day is marked on October 15.