Sana'a: Hodeida Governor Abdullah Atifi and Chairman of the General Authority for Lands and Survey Ibrahim Al-Mansour on Thursday launched the first phase of an agricultural land reclamation and empowerment project in Al-Sukhnah district. The initiative also marks the distribution of usufruct contracts to farmers and the commencement of the project's second phase in the Al-Mandouleh area.
According to Yemen News Agency, the project is supervised by the General Authority for Lands and aims to reclaim state-owned agricultural land, transforming it into productive assets. This initiative is expected to enhance agricultural activities, increase local production, and improve the livelihoods of beneficiary families. The first phase involves reclaiming 273 mu of state land, enabling 97 families to cultivate and benefit from it.
The project will include drilling and equipping nine solar-powered production wells and installing main and secondary irrigation networks. It will support the cultivation of crops such as corn, millet, sesame, various vegetables, and fruit trees. This initiative aims to diversify agricultural production and provide sustainable income for the beneficiary families.
At the launch event, Governor Atifi emphasized the project's significance in bolstering the agricultural sector by transforming unused land into productive areas. He highlighted that enabling farmers to utilize the land would expand agricultural production and optimize available resources.
Al-Mansour noted that the project serves as a practical model for investing state-owned land in developmental and productive projects. Preparations for the project included conducting field surveys, identifying and documenting state-owned land, developing plans, establishing water sources and irrigation networks, and completing procedures for granting usufruct rights.
He added that the project extends beyond mere land distribution by providing necessary infrastructure, such as water sources, irrigation networks, and solar-powered wells, to facilitate the transformation of land into productive agricultural areas. These measures aim to reduce operating costs and support sustainable production.
The second phase of the project will also offer agricultural training, extension services, and technical support to enhance farmers' expertise, improve cultivation and irrigation methods, and guide crop selection. The launch event was attended by officials from the Ministry of Finance, Hodeida local authority, the General Authority for Lands, and local and community representatives, along with several farmers.
