Djibouti moves ahead with US$100 million plan to grow its farm sector
Djibouti hopes fresh talks with FAO will speed up long delayed efforts to grow food locally.
DJIBOUTI – Djibouti has opened talks with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization to secure US$100 million for a plan that aims to grow its small farm sector and cut its heavy reliance on imported food.
President Ismail Omar Guelleh met FAO Director General Qu Dongyu and his delegation during a two day visit to Djibouti on 7 December. Local media reports say the visit allowed the team to study areas such as livestock, aquaculture, crop production and food processing.
Qu Dongyu later wrote on X that he and the president spoke at length about the plan. “We discussed Djibouti’s investment plan and FAO’s commitment to support the country in setting up a programme that will help make it an economic hub,” he said.
The government hopes the plan will modernize farms and support new systems that use less water. These steps matter for Djibouti because the country has very little arable land.
Only 4.3 percent of the land can support crops, and the climate offers little rain. As a result, the sector contributes only 2.6 percent to GDP, and food production stays low.
A country shaped by food imports
Djibouti depends on imports for around 80 percent of its food needs. The Djibouti Economic Yearbook 2025 shows that farms meet only 20 percent of national demand.
UNCTAD data also shows that the country imported an average of US$735.8 million in food between 2021 and 2023. The main items include rice, wheat, maize, meat, dairy goods, fish, sugar and vegetable oils.
Most local farming takes place along riverbeds where people grow small amounts of fruits and vegetables. Soil salinity and a lack of water block any serious attempt to grow grains. Experts say the country needs irrigation systems that save water and crop varieties that can survive long dry periods.
In livestock, which brings in 75 percent of agricultural GDP, the country loses value because it lacks meat processing and cold storage. Most sales go through exports of live animals rather than processed products.
New signals of regional cooperation
Talks with FAO come as Djibouti holds wider discussions with partners in the Horn of Africa. Government officials met with several regional blocs in recent weeks to explore joint work on drought response and feed supply.
They also reviewed plans for a small training center that will support young farmers who want to start agribusinesses. Officials say they want the center to open in 2026 if funding arrives on time.
The government now waits for the next round of talks with FAO to confirm how the US$100 million will be spent. Many citizens hope the plan will push the country to grow more food at home.
What remains unclear is whether the reforms will move fast enough to ease the nation’s long running pressure from food imports.
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