Agriculture and fishing
About a third of the land area is agricultural land. Agriculture is practiced almost exclusively for self-sufficiency and does not cover the entire country’s food needs. Food imports are therefore relatively large.
- CountryAAH: Comprehensive import regulations of Micronesia. Covers import prohibitions and special documentation requirements for a list of prohibited items.
All attempts at large-scale farming have so far failed, with the exception of black pepper cultivation on the island of Pohnpei. The most important export crops are bananas, betel nuts and coconuts (for the production of copra). Cassava and sweet potato are grown for their own use.
The Micronesian Federation has one of the richest tuna waters in the world. Fishing income increased sharply in the mid-1990s when domestic commercial fishing began. At the same time, revenues from foreign license fishing shot up. Nowadays, fish is the dominant part of the country’s exports. Seafood is also a significant source of income. Revenue from licensed fishing corresponds to just over one-fifth of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP, 2014/2015). For Micronesia defense and foreign policy, please check themotorcyclers.
FACTS – AGRICULTURE
Agriculture’s share of GDP
27.1 percent (2016)
Percentage of land used for agriculture
31.4 percent (2016)
- Abbreviationfinder.org: Offers how the 3-letter acronym of FM stands for the state of Micronesia in geography.