The returns of the farmer, Mohammad Murshid, exceed more than half a million Yemeni riyals from the proceeds of Qat selling, which can be harvested several times a year, are much higher than what he was earning from cultivation of other crops that he abandoned during the current war years. Murshid is like many farmers who found temptation to growing Qat, despite the risk of depleting the country's water resources because of Qat irrigation.
Murshid explains to Khuyut the reasons why he switched to Qat cultivation, saying that: "Qat does not have a specific season, like other crops, such as wheat, corn, fruits and vegetables, as it can be harvested four times a year. In every harvest, our lowest profits from the proceeds of Qat are about six hundred thousand Yemeni riyals. Unlike Qat, other crops are harvested once a year, and farmers may suffer heavy losses at times, and these crops may not be as popular with citizens as the Qat that most Yemenis are addicted to use."
Unlike other crops, Qat does not have a specific season, such as wheat, corn, fruits, and vegetables. It can be harvested four times a year and in every harvest, our lowest profits from the proceeds of Qat are about six hundred thousand Yemeni riyals. Unlike Qat, other crops are harvested once a year, and farmers may suffer heavy losses sometimes.”
Expansion and Depletion
The ongoing conflict reinforced these variances in favor of Qat in view of agricultural deterioration of other crops as a result of the continuation of the conflict, which negatively affected the activity of agricultural production and its high costs, with a significant decrease in returns. On the other hand, Qat markets have expanded and the number of its customers increased, in addition to the facilities it enjoys by the concerned authorities due to its huge taxes returns.
It is worth noting that Qat occupies 38% of arable land in Yemen, according to unofficial estimates, and these estimates indicate that it is constantly expanding, while Qat consumes 37% of irrigation water, and this is one of the many risks associated with its cultivation, which will be a serious challenge in the future, in conjunction with the climatic changes that the country has been witnessing for years.
In the context, Mr. Abdulsallam Naji, director of the Agriculture Office in Taiz Governorate, points out that Qat consumes large quantities of drinking water suitable for human consumption, due to the random digging of wells.
He added in an interview with "Khuyut": "Qat - which is not classified as an economic crop - is not subject to pricing like other agricultural crops, vegetables and fruits, which makes it a strong competitor for it."
Moreover, the governorate’s agricultural office ranks Qat in terms of the cultivated area in the second place, as it occupies an area estimated at 171,744 hectares, and its production reached to 291.49 tons during 2021, and it is still expanding. This is what raises the concern of Engineer Nabil Al-Amiri - Director of the Agricultural Marketing Department in the office, who fears that, with the increase in the population in the governorate, will lead to having "a significant shortage of water and having to bring essential water needs from outside the governorate, and perhaps from outside Yemen in general."
Numerous Consequences
The impacts of Qat cultivation are not limited to depletion of water resources only, but also environmental damage, according to agricultural experts who told "Khuyut" that: "Some of the fertilizers used in Qat cultivation harm the soil and make it inappropriate for growing other crops later, in addition to draining the pockets of Yemenis – which are already exhausted – due to their daily spending on Qat chewing".
Regarding the health problems resulted from Qat- according to specialists – it is responsible for high blood pressure and myocardial infarction, and chewing for long hours may cause sudden heart attacks, in addition to the fact that Qat is a major cause of loss of appetite, the formation of malignant tumors in the mouth, and if Qat is associated with smoking, it becomes a contributing factor in stomach and esophageal ulcers.
Suggested solutions
Chewing Qat is a well-established culture in Yemeni society, and getting rid of it is not easy. However, there are some measures that can reduce the level of consumption but require the adoption of studies and regulating legislation, according to the director of the Agriculture Office in Taiz, Abdulsallam Naji, including: preventing the cultivation of Qat in valleys and fertile lands, setting a price for it like other agricultural crops, or even lower than it, so it does not remain a priceless product which will encourages its cultivation and spread.
He confirmed that "it is the duty of the state to support and encourage farmers, in order to return to coffee cultivation, and support them with agricultural supplies, in addition to preventing the random digging of wells to irrigate Qat."
Unfortunately, Coffee cultivation does not seem to be a promising option for farmers, given its costly requirements and the difficulty of selling it at the desired prices, and its association with certain climatic conditions. In addition, the absence of official support as well as from non-governmental organizations to encourage coffee cultivation, except for some limited initiatives led to Qat expansion.
