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March 12, 2009
The governor of the Dhamar province in Yemen, Yahya Al-'Amri, together
with officials from the governorate and local farmers, have begun
uprooting qat plants to make room for agricultural crops instead, the
Yemen Times reported.
It is estimated that some 30 percent of all water used for agriculture
in Yemen goes to the cultivation of the qat plant, the leaves of which
are chewed for a long period (3-5 hours) to achieve a rush.
According to some studies, three quarters of all Yemeni males chew qat
on a daily basis and the need for qat often takes priority over buying
food. People who do not chew are seen as social outcasts.
The government will provide the farmers with improved seeds of potatoes
and wheat, as well as coffee seeding that will be distributed to them
soon, Al-'Amri was quoted by the paper as saying. He also praised the
voluntary participation of the farmers.
The farmers will also receive a modern irrigation network, and water
tanks will be placed near the fields courtesy of the World Bank, which
is also providing experts in the fields of protecting water and soil. It
will also perform studies on the possibilities of alternative crops such
as cactus, which, according to bank officials, can be very profitable
for the farmers.
The Yemeni government has taken additional measures to fight qat
consumption, such as banning qat from markets in the cities and
extending working hours from 8:00 am until 3:00 pm.
Source: The Media Line
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