FAO through EU funded project supporting Nineveh vegetable producing farmers

Through the EU funded project: Support to agricultural livelihoods of rural and peri-urban returnees and communities in Nineveh and under the crop value chain development activities, FAO proceeded with supporting farmers and started distribution  of high-quality vegetable seeds to 4000 farmers in close cooperation with MOA, local authorities and farmers union.  

The ceremony took place in the presence of the representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Iraq Dr. Salah El-Hajj Hassan, Director of Nineveh Agriculture Directorate, and president of farmer’s union Mr. Abdul Hamid Al-Rashidi, and a large number of farmers.

Dr Hajj Hassan highlighted the importance of empowering farmers through the introduction of good agricultural and post-harvest practices in order to reach better yields, reduce post-harvest losses, and increase both crop productivity and quality with higher potentials for more added values and market competing opportunities.

The FAOR thanked and praised the important support and role of the EU in enabling further development for the agriculture sector in Iraq, supporting local communities especially returnees, he also acknowledged the partnership with the Minister of Agriculture, the Directorate of Agriculture in and farmers union in Nineveh.

The director of Nineveh Agriculture directorate highlighted the important of Nineveh governorate as the food basket for all Iraq and addressed the appreciations for the efforts made by FAO in supporting the agriculture sector. The president of farmer’s union, pointed out the effectiveness of the role played by FAO in supporting farmers and the agricultural sector in the governorate.

It is worth highlighting that the development of the vegetable value chain is an important pillar of the aforementioned project including the introduction of highly quality inputs developing technical expertise through the Farmers field school approach and should be enabling farmers to improve their management practices and post-harvest handling experiences which will be improving their livelihood conditions and sustaining their rural resilience capacities.