The Socio-Economic Development Plan for Poverty Reduction 2006 - 2010

The Third Socio-Economic Development Plan for Poverty Reduction (DPPR) is a national plan with a sectoral approach. The duration of the Plan is 4 years from 2006 2010. The main objective of the Plan is to find solutions regarding the challenges caused by the population growth, water resources scarcity and the decrease in agricultural production. The development challenges regarding FAO s mandate are water scarcity and water management as well as challenges of employment caused by the rapid population growth as Yemen is dependent on agriculture as a source of income and it is one of the most water scarce countries in the world. The structure of the Plan is divided into two inter-related themes namely accelerated economic growth, employment generation and intensification of poverty reduction efforts.
The development of sectors such as agriculture highly depends on economic diversification and productive growth and underlines the importance of agricultural and fisheries sector. Furthermore the Plan underlines the decrease of fruits, vegetables, money-crops and feed and emphasizes on the underlying factors behind. The underlying factors are rare and scarce rainwater in some seasons, infestation of some pests and weak performance of agricultural research and extension centres in terms of playing their role, particularly in producing both improved/modified high-productive and pest-resistant seeds and hybrid seedlings. In addition, other reasons include the weak role of agricultural extension for farmers regarding the use of fertilizers and pesticides, lack of using modern irrigation methods and not observing the designated best time to cultivate various crops. The development of agriculture sector depends mainly on developing rain-fed agriculture methods and improving irrigation efficiencies. In addition, pests, pesticides and epidemics control initiatives need to be strengthened and implemented. The Plan further aims at increasing animal production. This will be achieved by improvements to local breeding practices and encourage rural women to revive traditional and cooperative activities in animal husbandry and by improving animal productivity and veterinary care, increased growing of high-nutrition animal feed crops and spreading the use of fodder concentrates. Regarding the fisheries sector the DPPR s vision is to make optimal and sustainable use of fishery resources for economic development and poverty reduction in coastal areas. The DPPR underlines the importance of forests and woodlands and addresses the challenge of desertification and land degradation by the promotion of reforestation and the development of the legal framework to protect forests and natural rangeland.
The agriculture sector including plants, animals and forestry - plays a fundamental role in increasing the GDP, diversifying the economic platform, creating job opportunities and reducing poverty, particularly in rural areas. The Plan further focuses on the need to establish associations of dairy producers, to promote small scale production by small farmers coupled with animal extension programmes targeting rural women in terms of nutritional and care methods. Water scarcity is highly important as a challenge to development and a core issue regarding areas such as infrastructure, health, environment and economic development. The water resource depletion rates are alarmingly unsustainable. The strategy for meeting these water resource management targets is multifaceted and includes improvements to the institutional structure. Water resource management systems and use must be rationalised and modernised, and implementation of the National Strategy for Water, the Water Act, relevant by-laws and other procedures to conserve water resources must be expedited. In addition, new and sustainable supply sources need to be identified. Plans also include construction of dams, canals and dikes as well as new monitoring stations. Users rights need to be defined and properly legislated, together with clear policies that assign roles and responsibilities with consideration for vulnerable groups. The Plan sets forth that other challenging issues having an impact on the environment and sustainability are desertification, depletion of forest and problems threatening biodiversity. The Plan gives special attention to women stating that women have particularly poor access to relevant information and training related to production and marketing. The Plan also aims at women s participation in decision-making and authority positions across a wide range of institutions will be enhanced in both quantity and quality with the aid of incentives, advocacy and training as well as public awareness raising initiatives in cooperation with women s organisations.
Marketing and storage of agricultural products should be improved and private sector investments should be increased. It is necessary to restructure the sector and to integrate and rationalise the roles of various institutions with a decentralised approach based on a revised and conducive regulatory framework, and supported by requisite training of relevant staff coupled with an enhanced role for CSO s such as the Agricultural Cooperatives Union. The agricultural cooperative sector should be expanded and the programme for the privatisation of public agricultural corporations completed. Finally, the DPPR includes campaigns for control of animal diseases and epidemics, improved access to internal and external veterinary quarantine services, and improvements in veterinary training and knowledge among owners and producers of livestock.