SANAA, July 21 (Saba) - The General Corporation for Development and Production of Cereals collected 60 tones of local seeds for various grain crop varieties of cereal crops last year.
The Corporation's executive director Eng. Ahmed al-Khalid told Saba that the Corporation is currently operating to multiply types and varieties of seeds so as to preserve them as genetic assets for local varieties and a source of food security for future generations.
Al-Khalid pointed out that the Corporation under the supervision of the Higher Agricultural and Fisheries Committee during the last period implemented the program of improving and selecting local seeds under the rainy system.
The Corporation was able through the local seed varieties multiplication project to collect the genetic origins of grain crop seeds in more than ten provinces, al-Khalid said.
He pointed out that, in accordance with the national vision of building the Yemeni Modern State, the Corporation seeks through the implementation of such projects to expand vertical and horizontal grain production locally.
Al-Khalid indicated that the project aims to form a nucleus of improved local seeds, by increasing, maintaining and renewing the seeds of diverse grain and legumes crops in the regions and its environments, and applying the integrated package to improve local seeds and provide good seeds to farmers.
He pointed out that the project aims to form a nucleus of improved local seeds by doubling, maintaining, and renewing the seeds of different grain and legumes crops and applying the integrated package to improve local seeds and provide good seeds to farmers.
Al-Khalid emphasized the importance of the project in testing some distinct varieties of some crops and assessing their suitability for other regions, as well as encouraging grain producers' cooperatives to set up local seed banks at the level of districts, pointing out that the improved items are increasing production in the cultivated area unit.
The Executive Director of the Development and Production Corporation of Cereals revealed the signing of an agreement to finance the Corporation with the amount of more than 400 million riyals of an interest-free loan for the local grain seed multiplication project within the framework of improving, selecting and increasing the various varieties of local seeds to raise and increase local production under the supervision of the Higher Agricultural and Fisheries Committee.
Dr. Mutahar al-Khishni, chairman of the Corporation's Crop Research Committee, said the 2019 genetic origins collection project included collecting more than 60 tons of local seeds and keeping a quantity of them in the 'Gene Bank' as genetic origins so as to become a source as well as a resource for future generations.
He pointed out that the project is currently focusing on the multiplication of seeds in the farmers' regions and their environment in order to apply the technical recommendations to improve their productivity by providing agricultural inputs from fertilizers and technical and indicative recommendations under the supervision of specialized cadres of doctors of Yemeni universities and agricultural research to be supervised from the beginning of agriculture until the harvest thus to select the best seeds.
Dr. al-Khishni predicted that productivity under the project would reach about 7,000 tons of seeds for various grains and legumes.
H.H
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