Ibb:A meeting held on Tuesday in Ibb governorate focused on reviewing the implementation reports of agricultural programs carried out during the 1447 AH year and the ongoing initiatives for the current 1448 AH year. The session was chaired by Dr. Ibrahim Al-Siraji, Undersecretary of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Water Resources for the Plant Wealth Sector.
According to Yemen News Agency, the meeting examined mechanisms for implementing the governorate's cash crop propagation strategy, specifically targeting pistachios, olives, walnuts, almonds, prickly pears, turmeric, ginger, and local berries. The discussion also covered potential interventions to expand the cultivation of these crops.
Dr. Al-Siraji emphasized the importance of finding effective solutions to boost cash crop output, contributing to food self-sufficiency and reducing the national import bill. He highlighted the Ministry's strategy to plant two million olive seedlings in suitable agricultural zones as part of the expansion plan. He also noted Ibb Governorate's potential to supply other regions with diverse agricultural produce, particularly cash crops, and praised the efforts of the Agriculture Office and the Agricultural Financing Unit in executing production-enhancing projects.
The Undersecretary stressed the need to finalize the formation of agricultural production groups and train farmers to ensure the success of the contract farming program. Additionally, he called for strengthening the role of agricultural cooperatives in boosting production and food security, expressing the Ministry's readiness to collaborate with local authorities to resolve obstacles hindering the formation of the administrative board for the Ibb Rural District agricultural cooperative.
Hamoud Al-Rassas, the official responsible for the governorate's agricultural sector, presented a report detailing key operational challenges and the requirements for planting 100,000 pistachio and olive seedlings during the remainder of 1448 AH. He underscored the necessity for prior coordination between the agricultural sector and the General Corporation for Seed Multiplication to identify crop varieties best suited to each local environment.
Dr. Mohammed Al-Qadri, Director of the Executive Unit for Financing Agricultural Projects in Ibb, reviewed completed projects and the 1448 AH financing plan, which includes an initiative to propagate olive and pistachio crops across several districts. He also highlighted ongoing efforts to establish 220 production groups under 19 agricultural cooperatives, affirming the Unit's readiness to fund programs and training courses for personnel in the governorate's agricultural sector.
