http://www.english.hadhramaut.info Yemen, WB talk on combating Qat planting [The Source: www.sabanews.net - : 31/10/2009] Secretary General of Thamar Local Council Mujahed Shayef al-Ansi held talks on Saturday with the World Bank mission headed by Julia Valeria over possibilities of the WB to support the local council to reduce Qat planting and create suitable agricultural alternatives for farmers. The meeting reviewed possibilities of drawing an agenda relating to possibilities of the WB intervention to support local council's efforts in this field. Al-Ansi hailed WB's role in development and poverty alleviation efforts in Yemen, reviewing the governorate's experience to limit the spread of Qat planting in the governorate through uprooting 14 hectares of lands planted with Qat during the previous three years and changing them to crops with economic benefits for farmers. On her part, Valeria pointed out that the WB's visit to the governorate comes to get acquaintance with experience of the governorate in uprooting Qat trees from agricultural lands and determining priorities of the WB intervention to assist the local council's efforts in this aspect. She made it clear that the WB will implement an initiative for three years, beginning from the upcoming November to gather international donor organizations efforts in this regard.