This season hasn't been like previous agricultural seasons for potato farmer Hussein Bajah, who owns three farms in Dhamar governorate. He complains of not getting sufficient seeds, a situation shared by other farmers in various agricultural regions.
Bajah tells "Khuyut," by saying: "Obtaining seeds has become extremely difficult, and the seed production company in Dhamar requires us to provide solid and certain commercial guarantees in order to provide us with the full seeds.
Recently, the issue of "seeds" has emerged, adding to the numerous challenges facing the agricultural sector in Yemen overall. This issue extends beyond this particular category of agricultural crops to include various types of grains and other crops. Climate change is considered one of the most significant challenges facing the agriculture sector in Yemen, which is among the key pillars of the national economy, given the sector's average contribution estimated at around 13.7% of the total gross domestic product.
According to Bajah, the potato seed production company in Dhamar cites complexities that prevent it from providing farmers with an adequate supply of seeds. Among these complexities is the company's officials' tactic of intimidating farmers by mentioning diesel shortages and the decrease in potato prices as a pretext and justification for the company's inability to produce a sufficient quantity of seeds to meet the farmers' needs, as stated by this farmer.
In fact, the potato crop is considered one of the important economic and food crops that finds widespread markets and significant demand from the population due to its multiple uses. Yemen is known for cultivating numerous varieties of potatoes, with its cultivation expanding in various regions across the country's provinces, notably in Dhamar and Ibb, as well as in Al Bayda, Sana'a, Amran, Taiz, Hadramout, and Marib. Additionally, Qa'a Jahran is renowned as one of Yemen's most prominent areas for potato cultivation.
“In the past, farmers used to set aside a portion of the crop harvest as seeds for the next season; thus, there was no shortage in seed availability. However, as the need arose for farmers to sell their entire yield, the demand for seeds increased. This led to a situation where the potato seed production company became unable to supply all farmers with seeds.”
According to agricultural statistics provided by the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, Yemen's potato production is estimated at approximately 240,446 tons, from a cultivated area of 15,368 hectares.
While Ibb governorate leads among Yemeni governorates in potato cultivation, with a production quantity reaching approximately 92,197 tons from a cultivated area of 5,641 hectares, followed by Dhamar governorate with nearly 78,333 tons from an area of approximately 4,925 hectares.
Responsibility for the Decrease in Seed Production
The deteriorating economic situation throughout the years of war has compelled many Yemenis to return to agriculture as a means to secure a source of income to sustain their livelihoods, including potato farmers. This surge in interest in agriculture has led to increased demand for potato seeds, exposing the inability of the Ministry of Agriculture's seed production company to meet the needs of all farmers and provide them with an adequate supply of seeds.
In his interview with "Khuyut," farmer Ali Nasser, owner of a potato farm in Qa'a Al-Haql in the city of Yareem (central Yemen), holds the potato seed production company in Dhamar governorate responsible for his and many other farmers' inability to obtain seeds. He asserts that the failure to increase seed production by the government-owned company is the reason for depriving them of their usual agricultural activities every year. He mentioned that, as a result, he was forced to reduce the cultivated area, settling for cultivating only half of the land compared to the previous year.
For his part, the farmer Mohammed Al-Jaberi informs "Khuyut" that in the past, farmers used to set aside a portion of the crop harvest as seeds for the next season. Consequently, there was no shortage of seeds. However, as the need arose for farmers to sell their entire yield, the demand for seeds increased. This led to a situation where the potato seed production company became unable to supply all farmers with seeds, a shortfall that farmers attribute to the negligence they believe the Ministry of Agriculture should take responsibility for.
On the other hand, the General Company for Potato Seed Production launched the spring season for potato cultivation at the beginning of February 2024 across several valleys and agricultural fields in the governorates of Dhamar and Ibb, located in the northern and central regions of Yemen. The company stated that it succeeded in providing the necessary quantities to meet the nation's demand for high-quality, productive local potato seeds. It emphasized that any attempts to introduce imported potato seeds into the country would result in significant losses and impose heavy burdens on the national economy, especially when there is a domestically available product of high quality, productivity, and disease resistance.
In this regard, agricultural researcher Hilal Mutair speaks to "Khuyut" about the occurrence of a crisis regarding farmers' access to seeds, attributing it to poor management by the Ministry of Agriculture and its affiliated institutions. He contends that these institutions have, according to him, become profit-driven rather than service-oriented, and they manage the seed production process in a random manner, lacking a plan to ensure high productivity and fair, comprehensive distribution to farmers.
Escalating Crisis and Clarification from Relevant Authorities
In this context, Saddam Amer, a potato farmer in the city of Yareem, complains about the procrastination of the potato seed production company and its failure to provide the seeds to farmers as promised within the specified timeframe. He tells "Khuyut": "I paid for the seeds, and they were supposed to be delivered to me in December 2023, but they only arrived at the end of January 2024," indicating that the delay in seed delivery contributes to crop wastage and consequently leads to losses for farmers, which is a concern he fears this year.
Meanwhile, Khalid Al-Akwa, an official at the potato seed production company in Dhamar, denies to "Khuyut" the existence of any crisis, accusing some farmers of colluding with what he called the "import lobby" for foreign seeds. It's worth noting that a decision from the Ministry of Agriculture in Sana'a had previously banned the import of potato seeds in order to achieve self-sufficiency, as stated by Al-Akwa.
Furthermore, officials at the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation also confirm in this regard that Dhamar governorate, in particular, is one of the areas that has a relatively greater advantage than others in potato seed production due to its higher elevation above sea level.
In turn, Agriculture Professor at Sana'a University, Ahmed Al-Hadwani, explains to "Khuyut" that the crisis of potato seeds stems from the neglect of the state and relevant authorities in the Ministry of Agriculture. He points out that the Dhamar Center for Potato Seed Production serves as a regional hub for storing potato seeds. According to him, addressing the issue is the responsibility of the state, which should ensure a sufficient supply of seeds to farmers.
