Qat Farming Banned
A good thing but the farmers are going to need help to transition to another crop, few of which are as profitable and easy to grow as Qat.
SANA’A, Feb.20 (Saba)- In its meeting held Tuesday, the cabinet agreed on carrying out Amran-Assoudah-Al-Ahnoum road project.
The 121-kilo meter long project costs US$ 19, 4 million, supplied by the government and the Saudi Fund.
The cabinet stressed on having necessary law guarantees on carrying out the project before signing the contract to be confirmed that the project will be carried out on accordance to the given specifications and conditions in the period agreed upon.The cabinet agreed also on decision project submitted by the ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation that banning Qat farming in the agricultural lands, especially Jahran and Alboun grounds to prevent food security dangers.
The cabinet stressed on the role of local authorities in agricultural governorates in implementing this decision and supporting the efforts of the Agriculture Ministry regarding this issue.
The cabinet reviewed also the paper submitted by Combating Money Laundering Committee on the results of the Periodical Meeting of Financial Work Group for the Middle East and North Africa.
The cabinet affirmed forming Observation Committee chaired by the Central Bank governor to prepare for the joint assessment process for Yemen’s efforts in fighting money laundry and terrorism funding.
The cabinet also was acquainted with ministers’ activities on foreign level.
MS/TN
Draft Law Proposed by Parliament
Qat plantations should be gradually dried out, and compensations given to qat farmers for 10 years to replace the lost income from qat, says a new draft law presented by 68 members of parliament last week. The draft law is the brainchild of MP Dr. Najeeb Saeed Ghanim. The draft law is intended to unify the official and public efforts to reduce the widespread abuse of the drug qat in Yemen.
It is also intended to provide financial and technical compensations for farmers who get rid of qat trees, as well as to create alternative kinds of agriculture. Social care and support for people affected by psychological problems resulting from the consumption of qat, is also one of the project’s aims. The project would be carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation. Farmers would be asked to voluntarily get rid of their qat trees, and the government would be responsible for providing alternative seedlings, and securing local and international markets for the new agricultural products.The draft law would also prevent the importing or planting of new qat seedlings, and prevent farmers from using pesticides banned internationally. Moreover, every farmer will eventually be forced to gradually get rid of about 10 percent of the total qat trees cultivated in his area annually, and given an instant compensation. According to the draft, the project encourages banning qat on public transportation and in public institutions. For the purpose of compensating qat farmers, it is proposed by the draft law that an independent fund be created.
This would be supported by the annual budget of the government, and by a 20 percent tax imposed on qat, in addition to fines imposed on violators of the law and its regulations, as well as the money required to get licenses for qat shops and thru donations. “We want to raise the awareness of the Yemeni people. It is important to make people know the bad results and problems caused by chewing qat,” said Ghanim. “Eighty percent of the water reserved in Sana’a basin is used to irrigate qat trees.”
About 15 percent of a family’s monthly income is spent on qat. “Some of the parliament members do not agree with such a law. They think that this law will badly affect the farmers working to cultivating it, because a lot of Yemeni people are working in planting and marketing it. But they do not realize that this law will be implemented gradually.”
