Development of National Level Agricultural Lab Inaugurates With Brick-Laying Ceremony

The national-level agricultural lab set to be constructed in Fuvahmulah City has been initiated by a special brick-laying ceremony held today. The symbolic bricks were laid down by the Minister of Fisheries, Marine Resources and Agriculture, Dr Hussain Rasheed Hassan together with the UNDP Resident Representative to the Maldives, Enrico Gaveglia and the Fuvahmulah City Council Mayor, Ismail Rafeeq.

Prior to the brick-laying, a designated signing ceremony was held to sign the agreement for the establishment of the agricultural lab. The agreement was signed between the Fuvahmulah City Council and the Ministry of Fisheries, Marine Resources & Agriculture and has been handed over to the council. The council must find a party to contract the project and finish it within 390 days from the date of signing.

Funds have been committed by the Government of Japan and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for the construction of the laboratory facility under the ‘Project for Sustainable Agricultural Economy’. The lab would be supported and equipped with the assistance of the Government of India and the IFAD project Maldives Agribusiness program. Once the lab is completed, it will include capacities to carry out soil testing, tissue culture, pest and disease diagnostic and pathology as well as an entomology lab.

With the aim of increasing the involvement of agricultural activities in the country’s economy, the Government of Maldives has been investing in promoting and enhancing the Agricultural sector of the Maldives. This includes the launching of Agro National Corporation (Agronat) which strives to enable market access for farmers, expedite an efficient supply chain for local agricultural products and facilitate overseas markets for exports.