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It is understandable that meeting the challenge of the recent problems of food shortage is one of the priorities of developing countries. In Eritrea, the government is working to stabilize the market and especially ensuring food security as its primary objective through the Warsay-Yikealo Development Campaign.
Sawa-Afhimbol Agricultural Project conducts its agricultural activities in Gash-Barka, Anseba, Debub and Northern Red Sea regions. Most of its activities are conducted in the Gash Barka region in an area of 1,123 hectares, while 77 hectares are scattered in three other regions.
The project cultivates pepper, tomato, onion, orange, lemon, pumpkin, water- melon, dates…..and other vegetables and fruits. It has eight agricultural sites: Afhimbol, Melober, Adi Omer, Mogorayib, Daerotay, Semomo, Halhale and Shieb.
Major Ghebretinsaiae Tesfaldet, General Manager of the Project, said that the objectives of the project include ensuring food security, saving foreign currency, helping farmers by introducing modern agricultural equipments, and providing with moral and material support so as to bring a change in their lives.
The Agricultural site in Afhimbol is found near one of the biggest rivers in the country, the ‘Barka River’. It is the biggest agricultural site with 500 hectares of land, which is now planted with tomato and sugar cane.
According to manager of the site, Afhimbol is very fertile land and has enough agricultural machinery.
Major Ghebretinsae admired the members of Eritrean Defense Forces in the project for their resistance to difficult climate of the area. “They always promise to make the Warsay-Yikealo Development Campaign successful and they participate in what ever work their country demands. They are extremely productive” he added.
Anyone who visits the area can easily notice the harmony and effort of the members to implement the planned work. They all work for one purpose – ensuring food security.
Agricultural site Mogorayib is another project established in 1996 on five hectares. Today around 14 hectares of the overall 28 hectares are cultivated.
The site brings 150 quintals of banana to the market during harvest. Mr Gezae Zeresenay, an agriculture specialist in the site, explains that the type of banana of the area has a high demand in the market.
Mogorayib agricultural site could be more productive when the shortage of machineries is solved.
The site in Melober, found in Gash-Barka Region, is one of the major sites of the Project. The majority of the 213-hectares are planted with pepper while in the remaining lemon, guava, dates and oranges planted. The reason for growing more pepper is to fulfill the public’s demand as the project’s main goal is to stabilize the market.
In its initial harvest, ten years ago, they used to harvest about 150 quintals per hectare. But today, having learned from past experiences, the harvests reach up to 350 quintals per hectare.
Sawa-Afhimbol Agricultural Project is developing from time to time in all aspects. It has already established the infrastructure for a well developed agricultural endeavor. And most of all, members of the Eritrean Defense Forces, who are taking active part in the project, are acquiring skills that could help them in their lives.
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