Yemen urges to support FAO initiative to create its food security fund

The Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation on Thursday called for supporting the initiative of the Director General of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to create a special fund for food security in Yemen.Fareed Mujawar confirmed the Yemeni government's commitment to continue cooperation with FAO in order to achieve the desired objectives.In his speech at the meetings of the 32nd session of FAO Regional Conference for the Near East being held in Rome, Italy on 24 - 28 February, the Minister said that the plant pests recently infected the agricultural crops in Yemen have hindered the agricultural productivity and caused huge economic losses impacted negatively on efforts to achieve food security.He pointed to the role FAO has played in supporting and helping Yemen to combat the threat of agricultural pests occurred repeatedly since the beginning of 2012, as well as desert locusts appeared in many regions in the country, particularly in Tihama area causing huge losses in agricultural crops.Mujawar indicated to the projects implemented by the FAO in Yemen and the technical and consultative assistances offered in many different areas in the sectors of agriculture and fish.The 32nd session of the FAO Regional Conference for the Near East is dedicated to discuss many important issues, including the state of food and agriculture in the Near East and North Africa Region, FAO regional water scarcity initiative and reducing food losses and waste in the Near East and North Africa Region.