Somalia is the 13th largest date producer in the world. The country’s coastline is 3,300km while its territorial waters (the Exclusive Economic Zone) is the world’s most underfished, and can sustainably yield 1.8 million tons of fish annually.
Amid press reports of bombings, attacks and skirmishes, one can easily overlook Somalia’s agricultural renaissance.
Agriculture contributes approximately 75% of Somalia’s GDP and represents 93% of exports. Rapid population growth and urbanization have driven up domestic demand for food; perennial droughts ravaged local food production and animal stocks increasing food imports that amounted to $1.5 billion in 2015.
Somalia’s unexploited agricultural potential, when activated, can deliver impactful economic growth – out of Somalia’s 8.5 million hectares of arable land, only 2.3 million hectares is cultivated under rainfed agriculture with a further 630,000 hectares under irrigation. In 2015, 5.3 million live animals were exported out of the country’s total stock of 50 million animals.
Somalia still faces numerous challenges besides insecurity among them low skill levels, lack of extension services, few protected storage facilities and poor infrastructure. Donor agencies, after years of humanitarian support, are shifting focus to building resilience and capacity within communities with regard to food security. Initiatives such as extension services, introduction of new farming techniques and new seed varieties have seen improved crop production and crop quality.
In the background of Somalia’s agricultural renaissance is the engineering fraternity, particularly geologists, irrigation specialists, civil and mechanical engineers. These individuals support the infrastructure and equipment behind agriculture.
The Engineers Hub provides a platform for the equitable and efficient distribution of crucial engineering expertise such as agricultural, irrigation and industrial engineers to drive agricultural mechanization, irrigation projects and agro-processing.