Yemen agriculture minister, briefed on alternative crops in Tehama

Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation Farid Mojawar and Resident Representative of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Dr. Salah Haj Hassan, got acquainted with the experiments carried out by the Agriculture Research Station in Tehama branch on the crop of “Quinoa” ,which entered for the first time to Yemen within alternative crops. These experiments are performed on the crop within the framework of a regional project includes five countries, including Yemen, with funding from the FAO and lasts two years in order to increase agricultural production and improve the nutrition of livestock as Quinoa crop is one of crops rich in protein compared to other grain crops. The minister and his accompanying researchers and specialists listened to an explanation about the steps taken by these experiments ,which study 63 plant species in the Agricultural Research Stations in Hodeidah and Dhamar. The specialists made clear that the economic, social ,and environmental aspects and post-harvest treatment will be studied, pointing out that the global production capacity average of the crop up to 6 tons per hectare, and the average of its production in our country is expected to reach 3 and a half tons per hectare. They drew out that this crop is one of alternative crops that its cultivation can spread in case of the success of these experiments, which will contribute to increase agricultural production and improve livestock and living conditions of farmers and reduce poverty.