MOGADISHU, Somalia

The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) has installed two greenhouses in the National University in Somalia's capital Mogadishu with an aim to strengthen agricultural infrastructure in the Horn of Africa country.

“Somalia's economy depends on agriculture and livestock breeding and therefore, activities in this field should be supported,” Ilhami Turus, TIKA's coordinator in Somalia, said at the opening ceremony of the greenhouses.

As part of the project, the agricultural equipment, fertilizer, pesticides, and machinery for seeding and harvesting were also provided.

Somalia currently imports 80% of the fruits and vegetables that it needs.

“These greenhouses, which will provide a blueprint for the farmers who use traditional agricultural methods, will increase the professional knowledge and experience of the students, support their applied training, and enable them to have experience in the field of agriculture,” according to a TIKA statement.

TIKA said the goal of the project is to encourage local production and to provide the people with fresh products.

TIKA officials in Mogadishu told Anadolu over the phone that the agency is currently implementing several projects at City University, Mogadishu University and Mogadishu Central Prison.

It is also building an open market in Balcad, a strategic agricultural town located 40 kilometers (24 miles) north of the country's capital, Mogadishu.

The Turkish aid agency, which has 22 offices in Africa, has implemented a total of 1,884 projects in 2017-2022 in the continent.

It finalized 210 projects in agriculture, animal husbandry, forestry and fishery and 144 projects in food aid and food security in the last five years in Africa.

TIKA also carried out 228 health projects to support maternal and infant health in the continent over the last five years.