Somalilandsun: The government of Turkey has responded to pleas by floods affected farmers in Sanaag region through a donation of assorted equipment.
This development was witnessed in Erigavo the Sanaag regional capital where the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA), distributed irrigation equipment, consisting of 60 irrigation motor pumps, 15 meters of spiral irrigation pipes and 85 meters of coiled irrigation pipes to farmers.
Somaliland Minister of Agriculture Ahmed Mumin Seed, Regional Governor Ahmed Osman Hasan, Mayor of Erigabo City İsmail Nuur, TİKA Somalia Deputy Coordinator Ilhami Turus and farmers attended the distribution ceremony held in the city of Erigavo.
Assistant Coordinator Turus, in his speech at the ceremony, said “using this equipment from Turkey, I believe you will make more efficient production. We will continue to be next to the Somaliland people as TIKA” adding that Hopefully we will be there with different and larger projects in the coming year.”
Sanaag regional Governor Ahmed Osman Hasan said that if technical equipment is given to the farmers in Sanaag, Somaliland people can produce the needed vegetable products.
Advising the farmers to make good use of the equipment, Hasan asked TIKA to increase its activities in the region since “We aim to meet our vegetable needs in the region and Somaliland at large”
Somaliland Minister of Agriculture Ahmed Mumin Seed, thanked Turkey for availing the irrigation equipment to farmers in the region, the largest and most fertile lands in the country and a breadbasket if properly supported.
“Sanaag is one of the richest regions in terms of water. In accordance with the strategy of our Ministry, we aim to meet our vegetable needs in this region. We expect our farmers who benefitted with these equipment to make the best use of this opportunity. As the Ministry, we will follow these equipment and carry out inspections, said the agriculture minister
Flood disasters
In Somaliland, where torrential rains are frequent, flood disasters are seen especially on the banks of streams and valley beds.
In the flood disaster in Somaliland in 2019, many farmers’ motorpumps and irrigation pipes were flooded, and farmers living in the Sanaag and Sool regions and engaged in vegetable agriculture on their small plots near the streams suffered financial damage.
