[21/November/2009]

SANA'A, Nov. 21 (Saba) - Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation Mansour al-Hawshabi affirmed that the financial and economic crisis, including its negative effects, formed a dangerous threat on security food in the developing countries including Yemen, al-Thawranews.net has reported.

This statement was made in his delivering speech in the 36th session for the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) that will be held in Rome on 18-23 of the current month, pointing out the increase of food prices and changing climate resulted in worsening food crisis in the recent years, effecting the poorest countries in particular.

"Yemen seeks to develop agricultural sectors whereas it provides a set of measures and programs to encourage and produce various food grains as to provide improved seeds and rise its production in addition to providing farmers with soft loans, activating guidance programs and encouraging the agricultural scientific research to provide early maturing varieties to battle drought and diseases," al-Hawshabi said.

He added that Yemen has concerns in building dams, dividers, reservoirs, distributing modern irrigation networks, maintaining valleys, protecting land from drifting and rebuilding agricultural terraces and building agricultural markets as well as fighting diseases, insects and others.

Al-Hawshabi noted the important role of Yemen's efforts to promote and develop the agricultural sectors besides boosting its role in food security.

Al-Hawshabi also said that Yemen as the another developing country that needs support from FAO and other organizations where 70% of people live in the countryside and 50% of them work in the agricultural field. Moreover, the agriculture field is one of the fields which will contribute to support the Yemeni development, including to provide job opportunities as well as to reduce the food gap which resulted in reducing the number of poor people in the country.

It is worth to mention that the five-day deliberation of the 36th FAO General Conference started Thursday to boost the most important agreements reached at the Food Security summit that was held in Rome and it will discuss several topics such as changing climate, rising the foodstuffs, lack of investment in agricultural sector, in addition to immigration that resulted in expanding the food gap and increasing hunger in the world.

The session will deal with the organization's strategic frame during 2010-2019 and its agenda and budget during 2010-2011 as well as the independent external report on the immediate work plan for developing the organization work, al-Hawshabi added.

==/AM

Saba