PROBLEMS OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION IN SOMALIA

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INTRODUCTION

Agriculture is a major employment activity and is the largest backbone of the economic sector in Somalia. According to the FAO report, it contributes more than 65% to the national GDP from domestic distribution and exports to other parts of the continent, the Middle East, and Europe. Also not only provides food and raw material but also employment opportunities to a very large proportion of the population. In addition is the root of civilization. Villages, towns, metropolitan cities all came into existence as a result of agriculture. Agricultural land (% of land area) in Somalia was reported at 70.34 % in 2014, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, while farmers do not produce enough sufficient crops for the country through better production techniques. Lack of development, in general, is a problem when it comes to Agriculture in Somalia

The agricultural products of Somalia can be divided into two main groups: food crops, produced for home consumption, and export products. As we know before the civil war the Somali government exported hundreds of thousands of tons of crop and fruits production, but after the collapse of the central government in 1991, afterward, there was also a falling down of Somali crop and fruits production position in the world market.

The climate in Somalia is mainly arid to semi-arid, with an average annual daytime temperature of 27ºC. The mean annual precipitation is 282 mm, with 50 mm along the northern coast, 500 mm in the northern highlands, 150 mm in the interior plateau, and 350-500 mm in the southwest. Rainfall distribution is bimodal. The rains seasons are the Gu (April to June), which has the most rain, and the Deyr (October to November). The dry seasons are the Jilal (December to March) and the Hagaa (July to September). The country is regularly subjected to drought, occurring moderately every 3-4 years and severely every 7-9 years (FAO).

Somalia's farming areas are concerted in the southern part of the country, in the Gedo Middle Juba Lower Juba Lower Shabelle Middle Shabelle Hiran Juba River Shabelle River, according to the description of the soil that is more conducive to crop cultivation than the moderately arid north, where the pastoral area has instead traditionally been practiced. The following are crops full-grown in Somalia Bananas, sorghum, corn, coconuts, rice, sugarcane, mangoes, sesame seeds, beans.

PROBLEMS OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION IN SOMALIA

1.      Lack of agricultural extension and farmer’s knowledge

Agricultural extension is the application of scientific research and knowledge to agricultural practices through farmer education. Agricultural extension services and programs aim to strengthen the farmer’s capacity to innovate by providing access to knowledge and information. Also encourage farmers to adopt new, improved methods of farming, using a variety of methods to reach farmers.

Farmer's knowledge increase local food availability, increase farmers' income, increase the sustainability of agricultural practices, organizationally, farmers’ capacity to play a more active role in the design, implementation, and evaluation of programs, at any level.

Agricultural extension services in Somalia were destructed by which farmers are unable to use technological implements, utilizing of unimproved varieties, improper application of irrigation, fertilizers, and pesticides which leads to low production as well as and low income. Farmers use traditional farming for agricultural production resulting in low production.

Over the years, our rural farmers depend on indigenous for the improved farming system. Such knowledge (indigenous or local knowledge) refers to skill and experience gained through oral tradition and practice over many generations. All that is witnessed in our rural agricultural system range from poor farm yield, the emergence of new crop and animal diseases, resistant plant weeds and pests that attack farm crops, old farm implements, poor quality fertilizers, etc. Agricultural information is always meant to get to rural farmers via extension workers, community libraries, radio, television, film shows, agricultural pamphlets, state and local government agricultural agencies, etc. Rural farmers in their effort to access this agricultural knowledge and information from available sources, for a better farming system and improved agricultural yield, are confronted with certain constraints.

2.      Shortage of good quality Seeds for poor peasants

The use of high-quality seeds is one of the most important elements in increasing agricultural production in any farming system, high-quality seeds are essential for establishing a productive stand of seeds. Seeds should have high genetic purity, high pure seed percentage, physical purity, high germinability, high vigor, higher field establishment, free from pest and disease, high longevity/shelf life, optimum moisture content for storage, good shape, size, color, etc., according to the specification of variety and high market value

The major problem of agriculture in Somalia are finding/ selection of farmers for good quality seeds, also farmers have not been able to fully benefit from the advances in seed sector development, mainly due to weak seed production and distribution systems, inadequate supply of quality seeds, and inadequate implementation of seed policies. In addition that farmers do not use crop rotation due to the lack of knowledge.

In the farmer seed system, the seed is not differentiated from grain through the application of established standards, but by individual farmers who may select certain plants in the field for harvesting specifically as seed, and/or by separating grain to be used as seed at some stage after harvest. In the farmer seed system, seed production is integral to crop production, whereas in the formal seed sector seed production is carried out separately from grain production. Also, Farmers relying on the farmer seed system may acquire new varieties from the formal seed sector, by the local selection, through social networks, from traders bringing grain into an area from outside, and from humanitarian agencies.

  

The amount of seed saved is determined by several factors including the size of the farm to be planted in the next season, and the need for multiple plantings where stand establishment might be affected by drought, pests, diseases, or a combination of factors. There are various different motives for providing seed to others or the farmers find their seeds, e.g. out of charity or pity, as a social or religious obligation to assist those in needs, or as a form of support through which the giver may one day expect to benefit in return

         3.  Lack of Irrigation system

The proper irrigation system is the process through which a controlled amount of water can be supplied through artificial means such as Drip irrigation, Sprinkler irrigation, Sub-irrigation and etc. The main objectives of these systems are to help agricultural crop growth, landscape maintenance, reduce the effect of inadequate rainfall and can secure uninterrupted agriculture, and help farmers to manage their water and the result of higher crop yield production which leads to poverty reduction and economic growth of the country.

The area equipped for irrigation in Somalia was 200 000 ha in 1984, of which 50 000 ha full/partial control surface irrigation and 150 000 ha spate irrigation. These estimates still exist today, but much of the infrastructure is not used. The area actually irrigated is only around 65 000 ha according to (Aquastat). Irrigated agriculture is mainly accomplished along the Juba and Shabelle rivers. In their upper sections, both rivers have deep riverbeds, and pumps are needed for irrigation. In the lower sections, the rivers are embanked, which allows for gravity-fed irrigation, especially along the Shabelle. Pumps are used by those who can afford it during periods of low discharge. There are three common types of small-scale irrigation found in the Juba and Shabelle basin:

v Small-scale pump-fed surface irrigation of cash crops. Individual families or small groups usually irrigate 0.5-5 ha close to the river;

v Small-scale gravity-fed surface irrigation of staple and cash crops, with clusters of small-scale farmers irrigating 5-10 ha. Maize is most common, followed by sesame, fruits or vegetables;

v Spate and flood recession irrigation of staple crops. And it also includes the areas along the riverbanks, (5-100 m from the river). The system is quite risky as the floods can return before the crops are harvested.

Somali farmers, they do not use the other types of irrigation systems which is more important than the traditional methods of irrigation they use for their crop production. Using Proper irrigation systems farmers will be possible for watering the individual plants of the crops and highly effective at supplying one to four gallons of water per hour directly to the soil in order to water loss due to evaporation or runoff.

4. Lack of mechanization

Mechanized agriculture is the process of using agricultural machinery to mechanize the work of agriculture, greatly increasing farm worker productivity. Also is an important input to agriculture for performing timely farm operations; reducing the cost of operation; maximizing the utilization efficiency of costly inputs (seeds, fertilizer, plant protection chemicals,  water, and agricultural machinery);  improving the quality of produce; reducing drudgery in farm operations; improving the productivity of land & labor and for improving the dignity of labor.  There is no doubt that agricultural mechanization for the multitude of smallholder farmers in Somalia has been a neglected issue for too long. The farmers still continue use of the plow (or hand hoe) resulting in soil degradation, plow- or hoe-pans in the soil profile, and loss of fertile topsoil while we know that will cause extensive soil erosion especially considering the current low level of mechanization.

Tractors and agricultural machinery are imported at high prices. This is due to the underdeveloped nature of machinery manufacturing, the poor supply of tools, equipment, and power sources. 

In addition, Somali farmers have a great deal of traditional knowledge and experience accumulated over generations, they have relatively limited access to new knowledge. The level of farmer training is relatively low and opportunities for further training are limited. Public and private extension and training services do not exist due to the lack of power government that is responsible for extensions to reach rural and remote areas for security purposes and others.

             Limitations of Farm Mechanization Are

Economic Limitation:

v Machines are not readily available in the country.

v Most farmers are poor and cannot afford them

v Cost of hiring machines is too high

Technical Limitation:

v There is a lack of technical know-how of machines.

v Most of the machines are not adapted to our environment/needs

v Very few schools exist for the training of machine operators.

5.  Inadequate transportation

Road transport plays an important role in agricultural development. Transport is considered as a key factor involved in agricultural development all over the world. It is the only means by which food produced at farm sites is moved to different homes as well as markets. The market for agricultural produce is created by transport; furthermore, transport increases interaction also Efficient and effective rural transportation serves as one of the channels for the collection and exchange of goods and services, movement of people, dissemination of information, and promotion of rural economy.

In Somalia, inadequate rural roads make it hard for farmers to produce more and to transport any surplus- after harvest. Poor and inadequate rural roads have been the main concern by both small producers and consumers.

Rural transport infrastructure is still poorly developed in Somalia, and therefore it is a crucial impediment for the growth of the rural as well as the national economy. When there is a post-harvest marketable surplus, it is not always easy to reach the markets. Limited accessibility has also cut off small-scale farmers from sources of inputs, equipment, and new technologies. Crop productivity is therefore low because farmers lack these important inputs.

It is extremely difficult for most farmers who live and farm in the areas far from cities and market palaces of the country Zone to gain access to all-weather roads vehicles on which to transport their farm produce to home and market centers on time. Poor road conditions, high transport costs, and distant markets have been identified as a factor that affects smallholder farmers in Somalia.

6. Inadequate storage facilities

Storage in agriculture is simply the act of keeping farm produce ‘safe’ after harvest before taking it to the market for sale or for further processing (Take note of the word safe, the farm produce you intend to keep have to be in good condition or else they get spoilt and you lose your crops even before taking them to the market). Storage protects the quality of perishable and semi-perishable products from deterioration; also helps in the stabilization of prices by adjusting demand and supply.

Storage of farm produce has a lot of significance in agriculture which affects the development of agriculture in Somalia, although most farmers themselves give little significance to storing farm produce. There are factors to be considered before deeming a room fit to be used as a storage facility (also it could be a bag); temperature, moisture content, security, location, etc. The most important function of storage is to keep the farm produce safe from damage by pests or disease before marketing, and for a storage facility to keep the farm produce safe, especially the easily perishable ones, the condition of the storage facility has to be optimum.

Many storage facilities in Somalia are in poor condition, contaminated or infested with pests such as the larger grain borer, or their capacity is inadequate to meet local production. New storage technologies can reduce food losses by capturing a greater proportion of crop production and better preserving crop quality. Poor storage crops may damage long-term storage for commercial and cash crops which will cause for loss of output.

According to STG Somalia, farmers suffer seriously from post-harvest and storage grain losses: average grain losses in Southern Somalia are estimated at 20 to 30% of the total harvest, and may exceed this also loss is on the order of 50,000 to 80,000 tonnes per year, which translates to an economic loss of between the US $15 million and $20 million. In addition to the economic loss, poor grain storage and handling practices can constitute a health risk, as improperly stored grain is vulnerable to molds containing Aflatoxins, highly poisonous chemical compounds. These are losses and risks that the poverty-stricken agricultural communities of Southern Somalia cannot sustain.

7. Lack of Agricultural marketing

Agricultural marketing involves in its simplest form the buying and selling of agricultural produce while effective marketing of agricultural products is dependent on the creation of conducive circumstances as well as the provision of resources and services. Agricultural marketing is viewed as a process encompassing all the steps involved from the producers to the consumers including pre-harvest and post-harvest operations. Such operation adds value to the product in terms of time, place, and farm utilities. It is believed that poor linkages in the marketing channels and poor marketing infrastructure are leading to high and fluctuating consumer prices, and to only a small proportion of the consumer rupee reaching the farmers.

Agricultural marketing plays an important role not only in stimulating production and consumption but in accelerating the pace of economic development. Its dynamic functions are of primary importance in promoting economic development. is also important in the creation of the various types of utility-like form utility, place utility, time utility, and possession utility

In Somalia, limited smallholder crop market participation is primarily the result of low agricultural productivity at the household level, inadequate market infrastructure, and institutions. There are some key factors behind the low smallholder market.

The market of farmers has become one of the biggest issues for Somalia today affecting the lives and the living standard of millions of people. Lack of government from 1991 resulted in a lack of financial resources, lack of organized marketing system, a lack of transport facilities, a lack of storehouses, and a lack of standardization.

Authour: Abdirizak Ali Abdullahi

Contact: 00905531710490 / 00252615587465/ 00252615825475/ 00252615206230

Adress: Değirmenaltı Mahallesi, Şht. Zülfükar Tezcan Sk. No: 2, 59030 Tekirdağ Merkez/Tekirdağ Turkey