The Maldives government has decided to issue plots of agricultural land for farmers, free-of-charge.

This was announced by the Minister of Fisheries, Agriculture and Marine Resources, Zaha Waheed during Saturday night’s routinely press conference held at the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) established in Dharubaaruge.

Minister Zaha revealed that the plots of land will be issued for a period of three years, in cooperation with island councils.

As such, arrangements are underway in cooperation with the Ministry of National Planning and Infrastructure. Land will be issued under the guidelines penned by the ministry, said Minister Zaha.

Further, she noted that there should be an agreement with the council, specifying which items will be produced in these farms and that this initiative should bear fruit.

Minister Zaha revealed that the government has always had hindrances in keeping up with the farming statistics, as such, she revealed that although local farmers are asked to register their products with the ministry, some do not follow through.

This comes days after the government revealed that several programs linked to agriculture will be initiated in the coming days alongside reducing the lease fees for agricultural plots of land to be issued. Further, the ministry has also formulated a special plan to boost agricultural businesses.

This comes at a time the country’s economy has been severely affected due to the Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. The country’s main source of revenue, the tourism industry has taken a direct hit due to the pandemic and this has called for the other sectors such as fisheries and agriculture to be boosted.