Global Arab Network | Yemen's efforts to uproot Qat tree continue

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Yemen's efforts to uproot Qat tree continue

Global Arab Network - - Mohamed Tamer

Saturday, 02 May 2009 21:44

Efforts of agricultural institutions' field teams in Dhamar have encouraged a number of Qat farmers in villages of Jahran district to uproot the tree, especially after providing them with alternatives and technical support.
Farmers in these villages got improved seeds and technical, guidance and research support provided by agricultural office here and the General Authority of Agricultural Researches and Guidance (GAARG) in the governorate.

Despite fruitful results of these efforts, recent indicators over cultivating Qat trees in Jahran alone showed increase of areas where Qat is cultivated in every village during 2008 from 4400 to 6600 meters. In 2007, the area of planting Qat tree was between 640 to 880 meters in every village.

Under continuous efforts of the governorate's leadership on arguing Qat farmers to respond to President Saleh's call during his recent visit to the area where he met with local authority to limit expansion of planting the tree in Jahran flatland.

"The governorate's leadership and the local authority have adopted programmed plans to limit Qat tree cultivation in Jahran flatland via convincing framers to abandon cultivating the tree due to negative effect on the national economy," said Governor of Dhamar Yahya al-Amri.

We told farmers that expansion of cultivating Qat tree in Jahran district comes on the expense of other food corps the flatland is renowned in, he says. This area was not only covering people's needs of food but also exporting great quantities of the crops to neighboring countries.

"We have held several meetings with concerned bodies to discuss the problem of Qat cultivation and we have also authorized a team of agricultural engineers to visit Jahran district in collaboration with local authority to aware farmers on dangers of growing the tree in their lands," said the governor.

The team gives awareness to farmers on importance of heading to cultivation of agricultural crops and fruits due to their fruitful economic revenues besides their contribution in realizing national food security and meeting society's needs of vegetables, fruits and different crops.

For his part, Secretary General of Dhamar Local Council Mujahed al-Ansi made it clear that the governorate's leadership and the local authority have worked on guiding agricultural institutions in the governorate to adopt means to fight Qat cultivation in Jahran flatland and some other areas in the governorate.

"Cooperative Credit Agricultural Bank's Dhamar Branch has been directed by president to provide free of profits loans amounting to YR 100 million to help framers get their agricultural needs such as equipments to cultivate wheat," he added.
Al-Ansi further said despite many decisions issued by local council aiming at banning Qat cultivation expansion and carrying out awareness campaign via mosque preachers and schools, it has no legislations to bind farmers to uproot the tree.
"But we hope volunteer cooperation of the citizen to uproot Qat tree from Jahran flatland wholly."

Alternatives from Agricultural Authorities

The agricultural institutions exert continuous efforts to provide suitable alternatives to Qat farmers. "The Agricultural Research Authority has several alternatives of agricultural types such as prime and growing seeds," said General Manager of Distributing Agricultural Results in the authority Khalil al-Sharjabi.

"The authority has already distributed more than 38 types of seeds of wheat, corn, lentil and different kinds of grains. All these types of improved grains have excellent quality and able to cope with hard climate conditions."

Over results of the survey made by technical team in Jahran district, al-Sharjabi said the area of Qat cultivation has increased. He affirmed necessity of organizing marketing process and controlling markets and stores for selling agricultural components.

"It is necessary to provide framers with enough quantities of seeds with encouraging prices, especially potato seeds that a ton of these seeds has increased to YR 18000," he added.

Convincing farmers first

General Manager of Dhamar Agricultural and Irrigation Office Ali al-Hamdi sees importance of finding convincing means and mechanisms to enlighten farmers to be first convinced not allocate agricultural lands for Qat cultivation and to uproot the planted tree.

"It is important to provide encouraging alternatives and agricultural guidance to farmers as well supporting farmers with 50 percent of modern irrigation system," said al-Hamdi.

He said that the office gives priority to farmers who respond to the directives of uprooting the tree "these farmers will have our consideration while distributing agricultural machines and equipments soon."

"There is touchable response and readiness form farmers to uproot Qat tree from their lands but they are linking this with getting privileges require big potentials, we hope to be available from the government," he added.

Translated by: Mahmoud Assamiee (Saba)-

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