The Minister of Agriculture and Animal Welfare, Dr Maryam Mariya has stressed the need for greater youth participation in the agricultural sector to promote modern and sustainable farming practices in the Maldives. 

She made these comments at the opening of the Climate Resilient Agriculture for Food Security in the Maldives conference, which was jointly organised by the Maldives National University (MNU) and the Islamic Organisation for Food Security (IOFS).

During her speech, Minister Dr Mariya acknowledged the Government's efforts to expand the agricultural industry but highlighted several challenges, including limited technical knowledge among rural farmers, insufficient financial resources, transport difficulties, and access to markets. She emphasised that increasing youth involvement is key to overcoming these barriers and ensuring a sustainable agricultural future.

Agriculture currently accounts for just 1.2 per cent of the nation’s GDP, with youth making up only 6.9 per cent of the country’s 7,600 farmers. With the Maldives importing 90 per cent of its food, the minister underscored the importance of attracting more young people to the sector to boost local food production and reduce dependency on imports.

The conference, attended by technical experts, students, and industry professionals, focuses on adopting eco-friendly farming methods and tackling the sector’s challenges. The discussions and findings from the conference will be presented to Government authorities to inform policy decisions.

The Government is already working with MNU to enhance agricultural education, having launched advanced-level courses, with plans to introduce diploma and degree programmes along with a new faculty dedicated to agriculture.