SOUTHERN GOVERNORATES AGRICULTURAL PRIVATIZATION

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The specific objectives of the Southern Governorates Rural Development Project are (1) to raise the incomes of very poor rural individuals and their families in the southern governorates of Yemen sustainably above the poverty level; (2) to promote overall economic and social development in extended rural communities with the target population, where there is a very high concentration of poor people; and (3) to test innovations that involve beneficiaries in planning and implementation, and that take a business approach to project management. The project components are five. The land allocation and development or rehabilitation component comprises a series of activities designed to establish very poor landless families within the target communities in sustainable new farming operations. Its subcomponents are (a) assigning secure title for lands to be developed or rehabilitated to largely dispossessed families; (b) developing and rehabilitating irrigated land, and setting up or reinforcing water monitoring; and (c) farmer services, including training and extension (using contract professionals), help to access credit for equipment and inputs, and material support to farm establishment. The off-farm income development component comprises three sets of activities to assist poor people in setting up or developing very small or small businesses, or in acquiring technical skills training needed to find remunerative employment: a) training and equipping villagers, particularly women, to become animal health providers; b) training and equipping new entrants to the fisheries business on the south coast; and c) promoting other revenue-earning services and micro-enterprises. The economic and social development component, which targets communities, comprises two sets of activities: a) development of community management skills and institutions by providing training and logistical support to community organizations; and b) setting up a community development fund that finances small grants for community projects on a cost-sharing basis. The fourth component provides technical assistance and training to help prepare future projects in the sector. The fifth component consists of operating the Project Management Unit, which finances technical assistance, project staff, vehicles, office equipment, office rental, and operating costs.