Minister of Agriculture: The Technical Interests of the Sector are Fully Prepared to support Farmers.
Aioun
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty, Mr. Memma Ould Beibatta, expressed his satisfaction with the response and engagement of farmers in the Hodh El Gharbi to the call of His Excellency the President of the Republic, Mr. Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, aimed at promoting agriculture in all its forms, especially rain-fed agriculture, as it is the only way to achieve food security at the local level and contribute to achieving food sovereignty.
This came during a meeting chaired by the honorable minister last night in the state buildings, in the presence of the governor of the Hodh El Garbi region, Mr. Ahmedna Mamadou Kelly.He confirmed that His Excellency the President of the Republic, Mr. Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, gives great attention to the agricultural sector as one of the most important national priorities, considering it a fundamental pillar for development in its economic, social, and environmental dimensions. He highlighted that the government of the Prime Minister, Mr. Mokhtar Ould Djay, is working to translate this direction into plans and programs aimed at increasing production and improving productivity.
He noted that in recent years, the agriculture and food sovereignty sector has worked to overcome obstacles that prevent achieving these goals, ensuring the utilization of all agricultural potentials and encouraging citizens to engage in both rain-fed and irrigated agriculture.
He stated that the farmers of the Hodh El Charghi were able during the past season to achieve tangible results in the field of agricultural production, especially vegetables, which the residents experienced during the last month of Ramadan.The Minister of Agriculture spoke about the state’s share from the agricultural component in the national program for access to basic services, which includes the construction of four dams in the state, 3,500 hours for the establishment of water and earth barriers, the provision of 165 kilometers of fencing, the establishment of model vegetable farms, in addition to some traditional interventions for the sector such as providing inputs and agricultural equipment and combating agricultural pests.
The Minister emphasized the importance of agricultural mechanization in the transformation process, considering it the most important means to improve and develop production methods. This has led the ministry to acquire a range of agricultural machinery and equipment and make them available to regional councils in a move aimed at bringing this service closer to farmers.
For his part, the governor of the Hodh El Charghi, Mr. Ahmed Mamadou Kelly, emphasized the importance of this visit, which is part of the field monitoring of activities in the sector during this period that marks the beginning of the agricultural season with promising autumn signs.On his part, Mr. Jamal Ould Mohammed, president of theHodh El Gharbi region, highlighted this visit, which reflects the interest of those in charge of the agriculture sector and food sovereignty in farmers engaged in rain-fed agriculture.He praised the spirit of openness and concern for small farmers, urging them to turn towards agriculture, especially since all agricultural equipment, inputs, and pesticides have been provided.As for the mayor of Aioun, he stressed the importance of developing agricultural methods and maintaining community facilities.In their interventions during the meeting, farmers appreciated this visit, which indicates attention to agriculture and farmers.
The interventions focused on providing fencing, establishing earth barriers, framing, training, guidance, and raising awareness about the importance of agriculture. In response to various inquiries, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty confirmed the readiness of all technical services in the sector to support farmers and resolve any issues impacting the production process. He referred to the initiative of the President of the National Union of Mauritanian Employers concerning the provision of 500 hours of tractor work aimed at supporting small farmers and constructing a cooling unit to help reduce agricultural product spoilage, especially vegetables. The meeting was attended by administrative and security authorities, local elected officials, and several senior officials concerned in the ministry.