President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has inaugurated the food security programme and fertigation system in Kandoodhoo, Thaa Atoll. He inaugurated the programme during his trip to Kandoodhoo to participate in the activities held to celebrate National Farmers' Day and World Food Day.
At the inauguration ceremony, President Solih inaugurated the food security programme by presenting commonly-grown local plants to three farmers from Kandoodhoo. He also officiated the opening of the food exhibition organised by the Island Council with the support of the Ministry of Fisheries, Marine Resources and Agriculture.
The president also presented the first package of eco-friendly, organic fertilisers and pesticides to the Kandoodhoo Island Women's Development Committee (WDC), to introduce and encourage the use of organic and eco-friendly methods of dealing with pests and other difficulties that arise during farming on the island.
The food security programme aims to promote the production and easy availability of locally-grown healthy food items and reinvigorate the use of traditional nutritious ingredients used in Maldivian cuisine. The programme further aims to ensure the ease of availability of nutritious food items in the event of food scarcity.
Under the National Farmers' Day activities, in addition to the endowment of local food-bearing plants and organic fertilisers and pesticides, the WDC was presented with an agroforestry farming plot. The plot is equipped with an advanced solar-powered plant watering system and a fertigation system that combines fertilisation and irrigation by injecting all water-soluble farming elements into an irrigation system.