Agriculture and Food Security
The Source: www.mpic-yemen.org -
Home \
Agriculture
Agriculture and Food Security
Yemen has long been named the “Arabia Felix” (Happy Arabia) and the “ Land of the Two Paradises”. Such descriptions confirm the fact that Yemen has since ancient times prospered as a civilization able to manage its economy and optimization of its available resources. Agriculture has been a main feature in the nation’s livelihood.
Over the years, agriculture has been until present pivotal in the economic welfare of Yemen. Around 76% of Yemen’s population is rural depending on their livelihood on agriculture and related activities. Agriculture employs more than half of the country’s labor force (58%) and contributes around 17% of GDP. Agriculture provides food for the population and maintains population and environmental balance. It has also been a source of foreign currency income through the export of various agricultural commodities.
Agricultural Crops
Yemen enjoys different landscape and thus diverse climatic conditions allowing for growing diverse agricultural crops. Yemen is affected by monsoon wind carrying rain from the east and west during the fall and summer. Rain declines during the winter. The topography plays a main role in increasing rainfall in the western regions as opposed to the eastern regions. In view of the differing landscape and climate, Yemen is divided into three main agricultural regions:
- The Coastal Region: This includes the governorates of Hodieda, Lahj, Abyan, Al Mahra, Aden and part of Hadhramout. Cereal crops, fruit like banana, papaya, dates, mango, guava, custard apple, watermelon and vegetables like tomatoes and okra are widely grown. There are also cash crops grown in these areas which include cotton, sesame, tobacco in addition to wide natural rangeland. Wadis (basins) are scattered in these regions like Wadi Moor, Wadi Surdud, Wadi Siham, Wadi Rama’a,Wadi Zabid, Wadi Moza’a, Wadi Tubann, Wadi Bana, Wadi Sharess, Wadi Warazan, Wadi Sar’a, Wadi Al Barakani, Wadi AlDhabab, Wadi Hajjr, Wadi AlMasila and Wadi AlJawf.
- The Highlands: This includes all or parts of the governorates of Sana’a, Hajja, Al Mahwit, Sa’ada, Dhamar, Ibb, Taiz, Al Biedha, Abyan and Al Dala’a. These regions are known for growing millet, sorghum and wheat crops, grapes, nuts, apples, pomegranates as fruit, pumpkins, tomatoes, onions, beans and potatoes as vegetables and coffee as cash crop.
- Coastal Region (Eastern Plateau): This includes all or part of the governorates of Mareb, Al Jawf, Hadhramout (the interior) and Shabwa. These regions are known for growing wheat, onions, citrus, in addition to thin sorghum, sesame, tomatoes, watermelon and dates.
Agricultural Terraces
Terraces characterize Yemen’s agriculture. A Yemeni historian once said “ Yemenis defied nature and conquered mountain peaks by building terraces as an important source for their food security”. Efforts have continued to preserve terraces from collapse and deterioration and sustain agricultural activity and the environment. Such efforts include support for forestation and extension activity, expansion of tree plantations, maintenance of terraces and the management of rangeland and combating desertification through the implementation of various relevant development projects.
Dams and Irrigation Systems
Irrigation schemes based on dams and irrigation canals have long characterized Yemen’s agriculture. Due to the overall rain scarcity and random depletion of ground water accumulated over thousands of years and the sharp decline of ground water due to agricultural expansion and population growth, efforts on irrigation and water establishments have focused on the implementation and erection of dams and water catchments. 380 dams and water catchments have been implemented during the past few years in different parts of the country. Some of the most important projects include the following:
* Mareb Dam with a capacity of 400 million cubic meters. The dam provides water for irrigation for an area of 10,000 hectares in addition to feeding ground basins;
* Bargooga Dam in Wadi Siham in the Tihama region;
* The continuation of operation and maintenance of water installations in the Wadis of Zabid, Rema’a, Moor, Tubann and Abyan;
* The operation of irrigation installations in Wadi Siham;
* The completion of irrigation installations in Wadi Hajjr;
* The implementation of various flood protection projects in several regions and wadis across the country.
Plant Production and Cultivated Land
Cultivated land has expanded from 1,121,000 hectares in 1990 to 1,280,000 hectares in 1999, an increase of 14% of land for cereal crops, vegetables, fruit (of comparative advantage), cash crops and animal feed. Cultivated area for vegetables has also increased from 52,000 hectares to 62,000 hectares during the period. Production increased from 696,000 tons to 766,000 tons in 1999. Fruit cultivated area has doubled and production has increased to 588,000 tons in 1999. Farmers have turned to cotton plantation as a cash crop following its price liberalization. Therefore, cotton cultivated area increased from 57,000 hectares to 91,000 hectares (59% increase).
On the improvement of production schemes, farmers have resorted to agriculture production, which depends on modern irrigation technology. The comparative advantage of the agriculture produce is linked to the better use of improved seeds and high quality nurseries. This would require the adoption of modern production schemes and extension guidelines, which ensure a high product and return.
Livestock Production
Livestock has increased during 1990-1999 to 4.6 million of sheep (an increase of 25%). The number of goats increased to 4.1 million (an increase of 26%), cows to 1.2 million (an increase of 9%) and camels to 183,000 (an increase of 3%).
Livestock production has therefore improved. Red meat production reached 46,000 tons and white meat increased to 62,000 tons in 1999. Milk production increased to 170,000 tons and egg production doubled reaching 610 million eggs. Leather production rose to 6,000 tons during the same period. Honey, which surpasses any other honey in quality, production rose to 164 tons.
The role of the state in this field has been in the form of providing veterinary services. The state established a central animal health administration department with 12 veterinary offices, 43 veterinary centers and 5 labs. These facilities provide all veterinary services, immunization, and combating of contagious diseases in livestock and birds and providing extension services. Another 22 veterinary centers were also established equipped with all necessary veterinary equipment. A comprehensive survey of livestock diseases was carried out. The state has given attention to veterinary quartntine to protect livestock from any epidemics. veterinary quarantines were set up at land, sea and air entrances into Yemen:
* land entrances: Al Buqa’a – AlRayan- Al Malaheedh – AlShehr- Haradh;
* sea entrances: Hodieda – Mokha – Aden – Mukala – Nashtoon;
* air entrances: Sana’a – Aden – Al Rayan – AlGhaidha
Agriculture Marketing and Exports
Agriculture Marketing
Efforts in the agriculture sector have focused on providing support and encouragement to overcome difficulties and constraints facing marketing activities and the establishment of service projects to improve the infrastructure of agriculture marketing. Among the most important achievements:
* the establishment of central markets for agriculture producce. These markets are important sources for feeding main wholesale markets. There are two main central markets in Al Hussainya and Al Marawa’a and a third market in Al Hussainya is under construction;
* the establishment of wholesale markets for agricultural produce in Sana’a, Taiz, Hodieda, Ibb, Hadhramout and Aden. These markets are another main channel for consumer sub-markets of agricultural produce;
* the establishment of local markets in some governorates like Mareb and Hadhramout;
* the establishment of a post-harvest technical center. The center plays an important role in upgrading quality and reducing loss in agricultural products;
* the organization of local marketing exhibitions of agricultural produce and the participation in relevant international exhibitions like the Exhibition of Leipzig and the Cairo Exhibition, etc.
Agricultural Exports
Diversification of income comes from the development of productive sectors including agriculture, the merger of the Yemeni economy into the world economy and the development of an efficient private sector capable of playing a more prominent role in the national economy. These are core tasks of the government so as to ensure economic stability. World economic developments have made diversification a pressing challenge facing the government and the private sector. The agriculture sector like other productive sectors of the economy demand further attention and financing enabling it to perform its hopeful role in the national economy.
The government has reviewed laws and adopted a set of policies aimed at promoting investment in agriculture and the improvement of agricultural exports. These include:
* establishment of a modern center for agriculture exports in Hodieda governorate to ensure agriculture commodities meet international standards;
* encouragement for the establishment of marketing companies and central markets like the Ma’abar central market for vegetables and fruit;
* promotion and support for agricultural cooperatives through the establishment of export centers for their products;
* preparation of specifications for export products;
* removal of administrative constraints on exports;
* completion of infrastructure services like transport, roads and warehousing centers;
* encouragement and promotion of private sector involvement in the development of the national economy;
* development and expansion of banking activities and insurance companies;
* development of bilateral cooperation with fraternal and friendly countries.
Due to such policies, agricultural exports grew noticeably reaching 30% of the total non-oil exports at a value of around 68 billion riyals (up from 49 billion riyals), an increase of 39%. Coffee and cotton top the list of agricultural exports doubling to 4,109 tons and 3,948 tons respectively in 1998.
Government Investment in the Agriculture Sector
Government investment in agriculture has focused on three main fronts revolving around the development of the sector. These include support for agriculture infrastructure, preservation and sustainability of natural resources and the development of the rural economy and ensuring food security. The government has worked on integrated infrastructure and proper management, which are prerequisites for realizing agricultural development in the countryside and food security through the appropriate utilization of natural resources. The following projects clearly reflect such efforts:
* Rural Development Projects: these include the northern regions, eastern regions (Mareb and Al Jawf), southern regions, central highlands (Abyan), southern highlands (Taiz and Ibb), the development of Wadi Hadhramout, Rayma rural development, agriculture development in Al Mahwit, Eastern Cooperatives Project, rural development in Rada, environment protection in the Tihama and other agriculture rural development projects;
* Infrastructure and human development projects: these have focused on management support in the agriculture sector, the preservation of land and water, expansion of the activity of the agriculture credit bank, the establishment of dams and water installations and the development of coffee plantation and beekeeping;
* Development of technical instruments and technology transfer: these include seed multiplication and agriculture services, integrated services to combat agriculture epidemics and locust, combating desertification, sand dunning and support for infrastructure for the improvement of breeding.
Agriculture and Food Security
Addressing food needs and food security for the population is a major challenge requiring improvement of the productivity of natural resources in high and marginal production areas alike. Attention should be made to make available food to all regions. There is a close linkage between the poverty incidence among the population and the fluctuation in productivity from year to year. The government has given priority to the most impoverished segments of society in the countryside which have minimum resources and are prone to catastrophes and disasters in addition to remote areas which lack infrastructure and social services.
The contribution of the agriculture sector in realizing food security in Yemen is clarified in the following percentages of production versus population needs:
* 100% from thin sorghum consumption;
* 7% from wheat consumption;
* 100% from millet consumption;
* 42% from barley consumption;
* 100% from vegetable consumption;
* 98% from fruit consumption;
* 99% from white meat consumption;
* 68% from red meat consumption.
Overall, local production covers a third of the need of the national economy of food. There are some main commodities that can not be produced locally and are therefore imported like rice and sugar.
|