Find Agriculture expertise in Seychelles
- Industry
- Development
Industry
Agriculture, along with forestry and fisheries, only account for 3% of the GDP of Seychelles (2010); 6.5% of land is dedicated to agricultural use and less than 1% of the population is employed by the sector (2010). Agriculture in Seychelles is limited by a lack of arable land and extreme rainfall patterns and subject to extreme meteorological events like tropical storms, floods and droughts. Primarily consisting of small farms rarely exceeding two hectares, agriculture in the country is largely subsistence-based, producing fruits, vegetables and raising livestock. The majority of fruits, vegetables, eggs, poultry and pork consumed by Seychellois are produced locally (2009). The principal crops and produce are coconuts, cinnamon, vanilla, sweet potatoes, cassava, bananas and tuna. Traditional export crops, such as cinnamon, coconuts, patchouli and vanilla, have decreased considerably as vegetables and fruits grown for local consumption have increased. The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources oversees the agricultural industry.
Development
The World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report (2012-2013) ranks Seychelles 63rd out of 144 countries in relation to agricultural policy costs with a score of 3.9 out of 7, the same as the world average score. Irrigation is a particular challenge to the agricultural sector; while some progress is being made in implementing irrigation systems, the high cost of development, operation and management has slowed growth. The Ministry outlined its aims in the Agricultural Policy 2003-2013: Aiming for Higher Food Security Through Sustainable Agricultural Production. Amongst its aims were optimising agricultural land use, improving arable and livestock production and improving services and institutional support. The government hopes that by the end of the period the Seychelles would have progressed towards self-sufficiency, growing 80% of its own vegetables and 100% of poultry, eggs and pork. Other areas of development include organic farming and floriculture to produce high value oils for niche markets, with foreign investment being encouraged in this area.
| Agriculture organisations in Seychelles | |
|---|---|
| Green Acre Farm |
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