Bajil: The process of purchasing and receiving the soybean crop from farmers and supplying it to the warehouses of the Bajil Multi-Purpose Agricultural Cooperative Association was officially launched on Tuesday in Bajil District, Al-Hodeidah Governorate.
According to Yemen News Agency, during the launch, District Director Abdulmunem Al-Rifa’i praised the efforts of the relevant authorities in supporting the agricultural sector in the district. He commended the success of the soybean cultivation experiment and its intercropping with other crops such as corn, which contributes to enhancing local production and improving land-use efficiency.
He noted that the district is moving forward with expanding the areas cultivated with grains and legumes, and activating the role of cooperative associations in marketing products and supporting farmers. This comes in implementation of the directives of the revolutionary leadership and the Supreme Political Council to move toward self-sufficiency and reduce the import bill.
The District Director affirmed that soybeans represent a nutritional treasure and an important source of plant-based protein, pointing out that the focus on cultivating the crop falls within the strategy to strengthen food security.
Meanwhile, the Director of Central Evaluation and Follow-up at the Ministry of Agriculture, Eng. Abdo Hefj, and the Director of the Soybean Seed Multiplication Project, Eng. Mutahar Al-Khishami, explained that expanding local soybean production will directly contribute to saving millions of dollars spent annually on imports. They stressed the importance of relying on locally produced seeds to achieve food sovereignty.
For his part, the Chairman of the Bajil Cooperative Association, Adel Salem, stated that the association follows precise mechanisms for transporting, drying, cleaning, and storing the crop in accordance with quality standards to preserve its nutritional value. He affirmed that this step comes within efforts to localize the cultivation of strategic crops.