Agri Minister: farming as a key economy

Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Welfare on Thursday said that the government envisions elevating agriculture as a key economic sector.

At the press conference held by the ministry to detail the progress of Hafthaa-14 (Week-14) objectives, initiated by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, the ministry's director Hussain Faiz said the current administration aims to increase the role of youth in agriculture.

Faiz further said the government has launched efforts to familiarize youths to agriculture by introducing vertical farming techniques. 

"Several foreign nations practice this method [of farming], and vertical farming is ideal for a land scarce country like the Maldives," he said.

He also said that the traditional farming practices can no longer attract young farmers, and said modern and innovative approaches are important.

According to the director, the ministry's efforts as part of the Week-14 objectives have laid the foundation in realizing the government's vision of elevating the importance of agriculture. Among the objectives of the Week-14 plan, the ministry is tasked with inreasing the budget allocation for agricultural activities.

After analyzing the responsibilities and purview of the ministry, it had injected an additional MVR 45 million to this year's budget allocation, making it a significantly higher allocation compared to previous years.