Agribusiness in the Maldives has a huge potential for expansion due to the strong demand for high-quality agricultural products in the tourism industry and a general trend toward healthy consumption.

Regarding economic and social welfare value, the agriculture sector’s contribution to livelihood and employment is considerable and essential to the economy. As a result, the government focuses highly on the sector’s growth and development.

To develop the agriculture sector, the government has developed a strategy that includes enhancing agricultural value chains, boosting farmer productivity, expanding agriculture’s contribution to food security and safety, mainstreaming sustainable agriculture practices, improving institutional coordination, and strengthening the sector’s policy and regulatory framework. It also encourages research into alternative technologies.

While most of the agricultural products from the islands are delivered to Male’, where they are marketed to local consumers or hotels and other tourist destinations, a sizable portion of the crop is transferred there instead. They are successfully operating commercial agricultural islands that primarily serve tourists.

Establishing medium-scale production facilities, identifying crops and animals for value addition, creating urban agricultural models for edible crops and aesthetic plants (flowering, medicinal, and aromatic plants), increasing production of traditional crops to ensure communities’ safety in terms of nutrition, and increasing production of chosen crops to achieve self-sufficiency and lower imports are all goals of the government.