Farming in the Maldives: growing food on coral islands

Every Maldivian island is made of coral sand and rubble, only a little above the sea. That shapes everything a farmer can do.

• Poor soil. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) describes Maldivian soils as poor and infertile, with a high pH. There is little organic matter, so compost and fertiliser matter a great deal.
• Little land. FAO puts the country’s total land at about 298 square kilometres, and only around a tenth of it is suitable for crops. On a small inhabited island, houses, schools and harbours compete for the same space.
• Scarce fresh water. Fresh water sits in a thin layer under each island, floating on seawater. Pump too hard, or let the sea wash over, and it turns salty. Many growers rely on rain and stored water.
• Salt and storms. Spray, high tides and swell can damage crops near the shore.
• Transport. Fresh crops must travel by boat and spoil quickly in the heat.

FAO notes that the best growing land on most islands lies in the band between the houses and the beach scrub. That is where you tend to see gardens and small plots when you walk around a local island.

FAO’s work on Maldivian farming describes a few traditional systems:

• Home gardens. Mixed plantings around the house: banana, papaya, chilli, curry leaves, pumpkin, breadfruit and a coconut or two.
• Island plots. Larger fields on the edge of the village, once worked in a rotation, cultivated for a few years and then left to rest.
• Taro pits. Hollows dug down towards the fresh water, so taro can reach moisture in the dry months.
• Agroforestry. Crops grown in the shade of coconut and other trees.

FAO lists coconut, taro and banana as native crops. Millet, sorghum and maize were once grown as field crops, alongside sweet potato and cassava. Breadfruit, mango and citrus arrived through trade with India and Sri Lanka. Our guide to plants and trees of the Maldives explains how island vegetation is arranged, and the coconut palm guide covers the most useful tree of all.

Most of what is grown goes to local kitchens, guesthouses and island shops. Common crops include:

• Tree crops: coconut, breadfruit, banana, papaya, mango, guava, lime and jackfruit
• Vegetables: pumpkin, cucumber, taro, cassava, sweet potato, gourds, aubergine and leafy greens
• Spices and cash crops: chillies, watermelon, ginger, turmeric and red onions
• Greenhouse crops: cucumber, melon, lettuce and other salad leaves

The tropical fruits guide goes fruit by fruit, with Dhivehi names and how each is eaten.

Many islands grow food, but a few have a national name for it. These are listed A to Z.

Kandoodhoo (Dhaalu Atoll)

Kandoodhoo chillies are known across the country for their flavour and aroma. The island has grown them since 2001, as Atoll Times reported in September 2025, when the government said its state wholesale plans would protect the Kandoodhoo chilli trade and that ministry staff would help farmers raise production.

Thoddoo (Alif Alif Atoll)

Thoddoo is the island most Maldivians think of when you mention farming. In 2023 its council told The Edition that the island had 112 farms, most growing watermelon, with about two million square feet under the crop and a harvest of over 200 tonnes expected for Ramadan. Papaya, cucumbers and scotch bonnet chillies were also grown for the same season.

Uninhabited farm islands

Some uninhabited islands are leased for agriculture. PSM News has reported that more than 50 islands were leased for farming, and that lessees must grow a share of the food items the ministry specifies. These islands are working farms, not visitor sites. Our guide to uninhabited islands explains which islands you can and cannot land on.

Because land and soil are so limited, modern methods have spread quickly. Hydroponics grows plants in water with added nutrients, without soil, and greenhouses protect crops from heavy rain, salt spray and pests.

Recent government work, as reported by PSM News, includes:

• Hydroponic facilities on ten islands, and greenhouse infrastructure on twelve islands in the north.
• A national agriculture centre at Hanimaadhoo (Haa Dhaalu Atoll), where vertical hydroponic systems have been installed to test new ways of growing.
• Training for farmers. Some 478 farmers completed specialised training, and ten farmers from Goidhoo were the first to receive Maldives Good Agricultural Practices (MGAP) certification.
• Grants for growers. A matching grant programme, Dhanduveri Manfa, helps farmers set up greenhouses and adopt modern methods.
• Community solar farms. In Vaadhoo, a hydroponic farm opened with UNDP Maldives and a local community group runs on solar power and harvested rainwater, with women from the island trained to run it.

Agriculture policy now sits with the Ministry of Fisheries, Agriculture and Ocean Resources. The separate agriculture ministry was merged into it in April 2026, as reported by The Edition.

Even with all this effort, the Maldives cannot grow most of what it eats. A 2025 commentary from the Maldives National University puts imported staples, mainly rice, flour and sugar, at over 90% of supply. Onions, lentils, most dried spices, many vegetables and much of the fruit in shops also arrive from abroad.

That is a matter of scale: small, sandy islands cannot feed over half a million residents and over two million visitors a year. Local farming fills gaps, keeps traditional crops alive and earns income for island families, especially around Ramadan, when demand for watermelon and fresh produce peaks.

The Maldivian pantry guide explains which everyday ingredients are local and which are imported.

Farming on low islands is exposed to the sea. After the 2004 tsunami, an FAO workshop report found that about 73% of agricultural land had been damaged and more than 370,000 fruit trees killed by salt. Our 2004 tsunami guide covers what happened and what changed.

Greenhouses, raised beds, rainwater tanks and hydroponics help growers cope with salt, storms and dry spells.

There are no farm tours listed here, and working farms are private land. Still, you will see plenty of island growing if you look.

• Walk the village. On a local island, look over garden walls for banana plants, papaya, chilli bushes, curry leaf and breadfruit trees.
• Visit the island shop. Small shops often sell local bananas, limes, chillies and coconuts alongside imported goods. Ask what is grown locally.
• Eat at your guesthouse. Breakfast fruit, curries with pumpkin or taro and a fresh coconut are the easiest way to taste island produce.
• Ask your host. If you are curious about a farm, ask your guesthouse or the island council whether a visit can be arranged. Never walk into a field or greenhouse without permission.

If you stay on a small local island such as Dhiffushi, much of what is on the table arrives by boat from Malé, but the chillies, limes and coconuts may well come from a garden down the lane. Our guide to Maldives local islands has more on daily island life.

• Do not pick fruit, flowers or coconuts. Every tree belongs to someone, even if it looks wild.
• Stay on paths and keep out of greenhouses and fenced plots.
• Do not bring seeds, plants or soil into the country, and check your home rules before taking fresh produce out.
• Ask before photographing people at work.
• If a host offers fruit from their garden, accept with your right hand and say thank you. Our guide to visiting a Maldivian home covers the etiquette.