December 15, 2014

For years Somalia has been dealing with war, corruption, piracy, terrorism, and famine, but, the country has made progress in recent years, electing a new president and adopting a new constitution in 2012. Piracy is under control and militants have since lost power. These advances have brought pledges of international aid and increased stability allowing the country’s agriculture to regain a foothold. The Somali banana industry was once the biggest in Africa, reaching its peak in the 1980s led by the brand Somalita owned by the Italian company, De Nadai. By 1990 Somali banana exports were valued at $96 million and the industry was the biggest banana industry in Africa, however, in 1991 war broke out destroying farms, infrastructure, storage, roads, and displacing farmers and workers. By 2011, the country had regained enough stability for the banana company, Fruit Some to be established and to begin shipments to the Middle East. Somali agriculture is indeed showing signs of regrowth, and investors are waiting and watching how the political and domestic issues in the country will play out.

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