Agricultural extension essential for production increases

Yemen Observer: http://www.yobserver.com

Agricultural extension essential for production increases

Posted in: Business & Economy
Written By: Faisal Darem
Article Date: May 3, 2008 - 6:11:34 AM

The penal confirmed achieving agricultural strategic goals to increase the productivity of different crops to ensure food security.

Agricultural extensions have a positive role in improving production of crops and rehabilitation, and training of agricultural extension staff is a fundamental pillar in the process of agricultural development, Dr. Mansour al-Hawshabi, Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation, said during launch training course for development of crop cultivation and production of cereals. The course was organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, in cooperation with the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development and was held last week in Sana’a.

Al-Hawshabi stressed that the participants take advantage of this training course and transfer of their skills and knowledge into practical level to lead to development and improvement of agricultural sector in Yemen.

“Further efforts must be carried out in order to achieve strategic goals to increase the productivity of different crops, food grains,” al-Hawshabi said. “These goals to be achieved by mean, implementation of extension programs, distribution of improved seeds and agricultural machinery and intervention to facilitate soft loans.”

The productivity of different kinds of grain crops over the past year amounted to 29 percent, al-Hawshabi said.

For his part, Suleiman al-'Awaja, President of the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development Organizations in Sana'a, reviewed the program and provided activities of organization to support the institutional and technical agricultural development in Yemen.

Participants have to transfer their skills and knowledge into practical applications.

The Organization has contributions to support Yemen's efforts in several areas including surveillance and control of epidemics and rehabilitation of agricultural cadres. He also pointed to the importance of the session in giving targeted scientific knowledge on benefits of improved crops, farming operations, and recommendations that explain how to increase the productivity of agricultural crops.

Dr. Mansour al-Aagel, general manager of Agricultural Extension and Information, delivered speech where he reviewed the activities of agricultural extension for development and improvement of productivity of food grain crops.

“We must work on intensifying researches, extension and production system towards stable increases in targeted crop productivity within the popular existing farming systems,” al-Aagel said. The productivity per hectare of wheat in the province of Hadramout rose from 1.5 tons to 6.2 tons during last year, according to Abdulmalik al-Arashi, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation. “The role of agricultural extension will lead to productivity of different crops, food grains, which would achieve food security.”

Al-Arashi added that providing food will become a problem internationally, so we have to intensify efforts on expanding the cultivation of food grains. He pointed to the importance of the session in enhancing the capabilities and expertise of specialists in the field of agricultural extension and cereal production.

The quantity of production of cereal crops in Yemen last year reached to 940.8 thousand tons of planted area exceeded 890.6 thousand hectares

During the three days, 20 trainees received information on agricultural extension focusing on improved crops and characteristics, and improving the productivity of local crops, as well as diseases and pests that afflict grains and pulses and control them, in addition to the role of agricultural extension to develop cultivation and cereals production.