The Role of Local Food in Maldives Tourism - Scholarly Commons ...
The Role of Local Food in Maldives Tourism - Scholarly Commons ...
The Role of Local Food in Maldives Tourism - Scholarly Commons ...
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ight quality <strong>of</strong> products from these suppliers. For farmers and snack suppliers the mean<br />
is higher at 4.20 and 4.13 respectively. <strong>The</strong>refore, the ability to source supply to meet<br />
demand from these suppliers can be concluded as neither very easy nor extremely<br />
difficult.<br />
Table 6. 5 Ability to source supply to meet demand<br />
Suppliers N Mean<br />
Farmers, fruit and coconut growers from neighbour<strong>in</strong>g islands sell their produce directly<br />
to tourist hotels and resorts accord<strong>in</strong>g to the latter’s requirements. Resorts and hotels<br />
that are outside Male’ atoll f<strong>in</strong>d it better to have regular supplies delivered directly by<br />
farmers than purchas<strong>in</strong>g from the <strong>Local</strong> Market <strong>in</strong> Male’. <strong>The</strong> <strong>Local</strong> Market <strong>in</strong> Male’ is<br />
the central marketplace for local products where produce from all over the country are<br />
brought to be sold.<br />
Frequency scale<br />
Very Easy Extremely difficult<br />
1 2 3 4 5 6 7<br />
Fishermen 12 3.08 4 - 4 1 1 2 -<br />
Mar<strong>in</strong>e<br />
farmers<br />
8 5.38 - - 1 - 3 3 1<br />
Farmers 10 4.20 1 - 3 2 1 2 1<br />
Fruit<br />
growers<br />
Snack<br />
suppliers<br />
Coconut<br />
growers<br />
12 3.67 2 1 4 - 2 3 -<br />
8 4.13 - - 4 2 - 1 1<br />
9 3.78 1 1 3 1 1 1 1<br />
Farm<strong>in</strong>g is not conducted <strong>in</strong> all the atolls. Depend<strong>in</strong>g on the fertility <strong>of</strong> the soil, farm<strong>in</strong>g<br />
is conducted on a commercial scale only <strong>in</strong> some atolls and some are well known for<br />
produc<strong>in</strong>g certa<strong>in</strong> varieties <strong>of</strong> fruit or vegetable. For example, Thoddu <strong>in</strong> Ari Atoll is a<br />
productive island <strong>in</strong> farm<strong>in</strong>g a range <strong>of</strong> vegetables and fruits. Thoddu is particularly<br />
well known for watermelon farm<strong>in</strong>g. Similarly, islands <strong>in</strong> the south <strong>Maldives</strong> <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Addu Atoll and Fua Mula have lots <strong>of</strong> mango trees. <strong>The</strong>se islands provide a large<br />
supply <strong>of</strong> mangoes to the market dur<strong>in</strong>g mango season. Although coconut is widely<br />
grown throughout the country, some islands, for example Kashidhu island <strong>in</strong> Male’<br />
Atoll, are among the most productive islands <strong>in</strong> coconut grow<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
<strong>The</strong> significance <strong>of</strong> this variation <strong>in</strong> farm<strong>in</strong>g activities and productivity among the atolls<br />
and islands is that those bus<strong>in</strong>esses <strong>in</strong> close physical proximity to farm<strong>in</strong>g islands are<br />
125