Taiz:An expanded meeting was held in Taiz Governorate, chaired by the Governorate's Undersecretary for Development Affairs, Abdulwasea Al-Shamsi, to discuss the pressing service and development needs of villages and isolated areas in As Silw District. The focus was on enhancing the role of cooperative associations in managing and implementing agricultural and service projects.
According to Yemen News Agency, the meeting included several key figures such as the Director of As Silw District, Adel Shaalan, Engineer Hussein Al-Rashdi of the Unit for Financing Agricultural Projects and Initiatives, Engineer Badr al-Din Al-Tayyar from the Central Emergency Development Interventions Unit, and the Secretary-General of the Agricultural Cooperative Union, Mazen Abdulhai. They reviewed urgent field measures to address challenges faced by farmers, with an emphasis on activating agricultural extension, marketing, and local productive development.
Undersecretary Al-Shamsi announced an initiative by the local authority to purchase the local almond crop from farmers at a price of 18,000 riyals per "Qadah," with an absorbing capacity of up to 100 tons. This move aims to protect small producers from price speculation and encourage continued production.
The meeting also addressed the importance of community cohesion and security as foundational elements for sustainable development. Al-Shamsi highlighted the need for integrating official and popular efforts and activating the community sector as a strategic partner alongside the public and private sectors.
Discussions included the farmers' demands concerning the impact of drought on productivity and the need for water barriers and an artesian well. The meeting approved measures such as organizing agricultural associations, forming specialized production groups, and launching community initiatives for road maintenance, with support from the local authority.
