President prods Government into developing agriculture

SANA’A,(Saba)- President Ali Abdullah Saleh prodded the Government on Saturday into developing agriculture as a new industry for bringing revenues and lessening the large dependence on oil. In a keynote address at the session of the PGC’s Permanent Committee in Sana’a, President Saleh said the Government must “build more dams and water barriers”. He called for the use of seeds with enhanced traits and modern methods of irrigation in order “to save 70% of the waters” consumed by traditional irrigation methods. “Some provinces have begun to suffer severe shortage of water,” Saleh warned noting that the problem is now suffered even in villages. President Saleh also instructed the development of fisheries as a more sustainable resource than oil and called on the Government to tighten its fight against smuggling. AA/AASABA