A decade after the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) distributed thousands of date palm seedlings across Somalia, farmers are witnessing a remarkable transformation. Amid relentless droughts, locust invasions, and conflict, these resilient trees have become a lifeline, offering stability and economic promise to rural communities struggling against the odds.
First launched in 2015, the ICRC’s date palm initiative distributed over 40,000 seedlings across Sanaag, Nugaal, Bari, Mudug, and Sool, targeting communities most vulnerable to climate shocks. Farmers like Mohamud Abdi in Bari’s Karin village report a marked improvement. ‘Our old dates yielded 20 to 30 kilograms per tree. Now, these new palms produce much more, providing us with a dependable income,’ he shared.
For many in rural Somalia, farming is a fight for survival. Recent years have seen prolonged droughts, devastating floods, and locust invasions, each compounding the hardships for Somalia’s rural communities. Conflict remains the primary driver of displacement, but climate crises are intensifying, forcing farmers to adopt innovative methods to sustain their crops and protect their livelihoods. Date palms have emerged as a critical asset, not only due to their hardiness but also because they adapt well to low-water environments. In a recent locust invasion, the date palms continued to bear fruit while other crops were decimated.
The date palm’s resilience addresses a crucial need in Somalia, where 3.6 million people currently face crisis-level hunger, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). With forecasts predicting below-average rains in the upcoming Deyr season, the pressure on food resources is expected to worsen. In this dire context, date palms provide a sustainable alternative, boosting food security and generating steady income for families.
For farmers like Abass Omar, a father of 16 in Barookhle, Bari, date palms have proven invaluable. ‘Dates are like camels in value,’ he says, ‘more profitable than other crops and a dependable source even when others fail.’ Local demand for Somali-grown dates is strong, with prices around $3 per kilogram, about half the cost of imported varieties.
To help Somali farmers make the most of date farming, the ICRC has introduced advanced techniques like drip irrigation and solar-powered systems to mitigate water scarcity. ‘By reducing cultivation areas and focusing on high-value crops like dates, farmers can better manage irrigation costs,’ says Marie Del Marmol, head of ICRC’s agricultural activities in Somalia. Drip irrigation and cooperative farming are transforming practices in drought-affected regions, promoting resilience and self-sufficiency.
In the village of Jibagale, near Garowe, farmers like Hassan Yusuf are hopeful that solar-powered irrigation might soon be widely available. ‘Water scarcity is our biggest problem,’ Hassan shares. ‘If we had solar irrigation, it would change everything.’ His neighbour, Nadhifo Yussuf, echoes this optimism, envisioning a future where reliable water access can support larger-scale farming.
