Taiz: A meeting was held today in the Shar'ab Al-Rawnah District of Taiz Governorate, chaired by the Governorate Undersecretary for Development Affairs, Abdulwasea Al-Shamsi. The meeting discussed mechanisms to activate the seed bank and prepare an implementation plan for it at the Shar'ab Al-Rawnah Multipurpose Agricultural Association, with the aim of boosting local seed production.
According to Yemen News Agency, the meeting, attended by the District Local Council Secretary-General Abdullah Al-Obaidi, addressed the mechanism for activating the district's existing seed bank and preparing it to receive and store improved local seeds to bolster local stock.
During the meeting, the Seed Bank's Board Chairman Abdulhakim Naji, Deputy Chairman Mohammed Taher, Financial Officer Mohammed Ali Naji, and Executive Director Saeed Abdul-Ghafoor reviewed the outcomes of a workshop previously attended by the administrative board members in Sana'a.
Undersecretary Al-Shamsi emphasized the need to leverage existing assets-specifically a ready-made bank equipped with essential requirements-alongside the serious and tangible cooperation of the district's local authority leadership to create an environment conducive to development work.
He also highlighted the importance of surveying major farmers in the district and the types of crops produced, as well as organizing farmers into specialized production groups. This aims to regulate the production process and improve agricultural product quality through value-chain interventions for each crop, operating under the association's framework and in coordination with all relevant stakeholders in the district. The Deputy Governor emphasized the need to work on the structure, standards, and formation of production groups, as well as the selection of facilitators in each *uzlah* (sub-district). These groups would serve as a vital link between farmers, the seed bank, and the association, facilitating seed provision and ensuring agricultural services reach the farmers.
For his part, the governorate's agricultural sector official, Engineer Abdullah Al-Jundi, viewed the available opportunities as a solid starting point. He stressed the need to identify the specific agricultural advantage of each *uzlah* and to collaborate with leading farmers to produce improved seeds. This would be achieved by utilizing the equipment supplied to the seed bank to carry out direct seed selection starting this very season.
Meanwhile, the District Director, Osama Al-Qatabri, affirmed the local authority's readiness to facilitate operations and overcome any challenges arising during fieldwork, thereby ensuring the enhancement of local seed production.
The Association's President, Amin Taher, outlined the association's preliminary vision for storing improved seeds. This involves working with leading farmers to select seeds and establish a strategic reserve within the district.
The attendees emphasized the importance of activating the seed bank and immediately commencing the receipt and storage of seeds using approved technical methods.
They also urged the establishment of pre-harvest contract farming agreements with farmers in the main valleys-Wadi Nakhla and Wadi Rasian-to purchase their certified local seed production for redistribution. Furthermore, they advocated for leveraging local resources during the upcoming harvest season to identify and collect pure seed varieties (such as maize, sorghum, millet, and *gharb*) rather than importing them from outside the governorate, thereby reducing costs and optimizing shared services. The attendees also urged the provision of machinery (tractors) to farmers at reduced prices through collective contracts, as well as the direct provision of veterinary medicines and agricultural services via facilitators to save on transportation costs.
They emphasized the importance of linking districts to facilitate commercial and logistical coordination among associations for grain marketing and seed exchange across the various districts.
The meeting was attended by a number of association members and "Development Knights" from the district.
