Yemen, UNDP discuss agricultural cooperation

Source: Yemen's official news agency, 21/09/2010

Sana'a- Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation Mansour al-Hawshabi met on Monday with Director of Economic Diversification Support Program (EDSP) ,financed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).Talks in the meeting dealt with aspects of cooperation between the two sides, especially with regard to the development of agricultural activities to enhance the agricultural sector's role in achieving food security.

The two sides affirmed the importance of the program and its contributions to the agricultural development.They reviewed the program's vision on supporting Yemen's efforts in the implementation of the goals of the five-year plan, in particularly those ones relating to providing water for achieving food security.

The EDSP's director, Heba Ahmed, confirmed the UNDP's keenness to know the vision and plans of the Ministry of Agriculture in order to help it through linking them with the goals of the five-year plan.She indicated that the program seeks to support Yemen's plans and programs in the various sectors of agriculture, fisheries, trad, industry, tourism and planning.

For his part, al-Hawshabi commended the UNDP's role in promoting Yemen's efforts in achieving the food security and the goals of the five-year plan.

He pointed out that the agricultural sector is the base of the sustainable development, affirming that the ministry's plans and programs are seeking during the coming period to fill up the food gap in Yemen through improving the agricultural production.

In a statement to Saba, Director of the project to support economic diversification in the agriculture sector, Sadiq al-Nabhani said that the project, financed with a grant of USD 2.9 million from the UNDP with, focuses on important issues in Yemen's strategic vision for 2025, which is represented in the economic diversity, alleviating poverty and creating jobs.

He indicated that the economic diversification program that started at the beginning of this year and lasts for five years includes the implementation of various agricultural activities.BA