Yemen and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) signed here on Saturday a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the rural growth program in five provinces at a cost of $ 112.4 million.

Under the MoU, which was signed by Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Mohamed al-Sa’adi , Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation Farid Mujawar and Representative of IFAD I Yemen Fathya Bahran, the rural growth program aims to improve the food security in the rural area and alleviate the rural poverty in the provinces of Dhamar, Dalei, Hodeidah, Lahj and Taiz.

The program, which is funded as a grant and loans from IFAD and the Islamic Development Bank and other sources, aims also to improve the economic and living conditions of poor in the rural areas.

The program, which will be launched early in 2014, focuses on achieving a rural development, reducing unemployment in the rural societies and especially amid women in the poorest areas in the targeted provinces.

On the sidelines of the MoU signing, a meeting was held at the Planning Ministry included Mujawar and Bahran and reviewed the program components and plan .

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