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The
SFD has addressed many aspects of rural development and
increasingly recognized that without increased agricultural and
livestock productivity, such development is neither truly
productive nor sustainable.
In addition, the government—following a Cabinet decision in
January 2005—adopted a national Small and Micro-Enterprise
Development Strategy and five-year Action Plan, and made the SFD
the executing agency. Although the strategy and action plan
included measures to promote small and medium-size enterprises
in urban areas, the bulk of attention was paid to promoting
agricultural and livestock-oriented enterprises.
In 2005, the SFD also negotiated a project for rain-fed
agriculture and livestock in which it will implement a component
of rural production development, supporting activities for
farmers in rain-fed areas in 23 districts of the five
governorates of Sana'a, Al-Mahweet, Hajjah, Al-Hudaidah and Lahj.
The activities include upgrading and diversifying agriculture
and livestock production, processing and marketing systems and
organizing farmers to share their experiences and better access
services and input and output markets. In addition, the project
helps conserve soil and harvest water in the Uplands.
Consequently, the SFD established a special unit for agriculture
and rural development. The unit addresses the activities falling
in the Integrated Interventions Program, Agriculture,
Feeder Roads and Community Contracting. |
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