Resource information
The National Strategy for Agricultural Development 2016-2025 is a sectoral policy aiming at achieving in ten years in the agricultural field the following results, together with economic, social and environmental consequences: (i) high agricultural productivity; (ii) efficiency in the use of irrigation water; (iii) high use of technology; (iv) high partnership between public and private sectors; (v) competitive agricultural marketing linking production to demand in the internal and external markets; (vi) national quality and accreditation systems internationally recognized; (vii) agricultural production and marketing for the export primarily linked to the food needs of the Gulf markets; (viii) high self-reliance in food security; (ix) high integration with other economic sectors; (x) growing ability to face risks; and (xi) fair distribution of agricultural development revenues. The overall goal of the Strategy is a sustainable development of agricultural resources that will preserve the country's animal and plant biodiversity, favor an investment climate in the sector and create a close link between production and market demand. This objective will result in a reduction of migration from country to city and the guarantee of greater food security for the whole country, together with the economic benefits of increased exports.The Strategy, analyzing the critical elements, goals and strategies for achieving these goals, takes into consideration 6 areas: (i) Agricultural Resources; (ii) Plant Wealth Sector; (iii) Animal Wealth Sector; (iv) Forests and Pastures Sector; (v) Marketing Sector; and (vi) Supporting initiatives.In order to make agriculture, forestry and fisheries more productive and sustainable, the Strategy provides for: (i) encouraging the conservation and reduction of fragmentation of agricultural land; (ii) maintaining the quality of agricultural soil and its productive capacity through monitoring soil and groundwater pollution, introducing methods of water harvesting in pasture lands and implementing rainwater harvesting technologies at the level of small waterfalls; (iii) improving irrigation water quality and efficiency introducing high-yielding horticultural and pastoral plant varieties under drought conditions, using non-conventional water and protecting it from pollution and salinity; (iv) improving irrigation water drainage systems in the Jordan Valley; (v) safe use of agricultural pesticides; (vi) expanding high value agriculture; (vii) facilitating the access to treated water; (viii) protecting the forest cover; (ix) developing guides and programs for fish farmers.To reduce rural poverty, main actions are aimed at: (i) encouraging family breeding; (ii) increasing the income of poor rural households also increasing the consumption of animal products, small loans system to reduce the problems of poverty and unemployment and financing rural programs.To enable a more inclusive and efficient agricultural and food system, the Strategy aims at: (i) protecting domestic products from unfair competition by imports; (ii) linking production to demand in export markets with particular focus on demand in the Gulf countries trying to get access to high-income groups in that markets and opening the Russian market to agricultural exports; (iii) supporting development projects in the Governorates through cooperative societies and, in general, developing awareness about the importance of cooperative work.Aiming at increasing the resilience of livelihoods to disasters, the policy focuses on: (i) reduction of desertification of agricultural land by re-entering neglected areas and reclaiming new areas; (ii) introduction of drought tolerant plant varieties; (iii) development of forest protection measures and green belt; (iv) implementation of water diffusion and soil conservation technologies; (v) protection of grassland and grazing, including the application of the pastoral cycle; and (vi) protection of biodiversity habitats.As for the Governance, the institutions are called to intervene coordinating among stakeholders, monitoring to reduce infringements on surface and groundwater sources, improving irrigation water supply management, supporting training programs for skilled labor, encouraging the extension of the agricultural professions and linking them to the labor market, expanding the umbrella of the plant tracking system and implementing quality controls on agricultural and livestock sectors.
