If Qat Markets are Diminished, What is the Substitute? [Archives:1999/50/Reportage]
December 13 1999
By: Abdulhakeem Hashem Othman
Millions of Yemeni Rials are spent in markets of qat both in rural and urban areas. Giant volumes of employment is absorbed by markets and many farms are devoted to growing qat. We can say that this evil tree has entered Yemeni daily life, it has affected the culture and customs of the Yemeni people. Agriculture, weddings, sorrows, their social relations and daily routine, are all affected by qat. Markets of all cities are full of qat. We find that each market has a different system for selling qat. The educated, traders, laborers, employees and managers are equal to the dealer of qat.
Qat markets cause traffic congestion and cause accidents because at the appointed hour people hasten to buy qat. This thing causes quarrels between people. So, in spite of the change of working time, we have not seen any improvement yet because the price of qat keeps on increasing.
What will happen if qat markets are moved out of cities, while there are many areas which grow nothing except qat. Without doubt this decision will cause poverty for those who depend for their living upon qat.
To know points of views, reactions and other suggestions, I made the following survey with a number of people who are pro and con this decision:
Those who chew qat:-
1- Engineer/ Abdulkawi Abdulaziz- Al hasabah Market:
“Qat markets inside cities is a bad phenomenon because qat causes heaps of garbage inside those markets. In addition, this will affect farmers and those who chew qat. Moving qat markets out of cities will affect farmers’ income because buyers cannot go to the far areas to buy qat. In this case, dealers of qat will be forced to smuggle qat into cities. Perhaps moving qat markets outside towns may urge qat addicts to form a group and only one of them goes to buy qat for all and thus reduces transport costs.
Regarding the one who chews qat, he will be affected because of the increase in the cost of buying qat in one way or another. But the positive effect will help some people to give qat up because of the difficulty of getting it.
Regarding the price of qat, it will be according to the policy of supply and demand. Qat centering in one market will increase supply and reduce demand. On the other hand, it will lead some traders to take qat to their house to sell it, which will cause an increase in the price of qat.
I believe that this decision was taken randomly as some other decisions, because the one who took this decision did not look at the consequences and/or he himself never chews qat and never realized the reality of Yemeni society. This decision caused many problems for all classes of people. Because of the absence of state control, planting qat overcame most of planted soils, so qat became the main resource of farmers’ income, especially in the rural areas. It was better if the state thought of this decision tens of years ago and gave substitutions and solutions. Farmers haven’t anything except this tree as a source of income. This decision will also effect sellers of qat because they will find themselves without jobs. We find that there is a number of small traders who buy qat from those who bring it from the rural areas. Those small traders will resort to smuggling qat by any means. Regarding those who chew qat, they will send any one of them to bring qat for all in order to save cost of transportation.
With the change of the working time for the employees, they will never chew qat during working days, they have to chew qat during holidays or they will send any one of them to buy for all. If the employee thinks of giving up qat at all, where can he spend the time?”2-
Mr. Ahmed Abdulwahab Al-Sabri:
“Markets of qat inside cities has many positive things because they increase trade activity and decrease costs because the one who chews qat goes to buy qat and passes through vegetable markets to buy whatever he wants. In addition, there is a number of peddlers who gain through selling their goods in those markets. But if markets of qat moved out of the city, it will lead to many problems for farmers and those who chew qat while the price of qat will increase at the same time.
If the price of qat increases, quarrels will happen inside markets between dealers because each group wants to control the market itself.”
Student Abdulbaset Al-Najdi, a graduate from faculty of sciences, specialist in physics – Haeil market:
“Markets inside cities are a bad phenomenon because they defame our country. In addition, it causes jamming and garbage masses inside streets. Regarding moving qat out of cities, it will reduce prices of qat and income of planted soils and increase the number of consumers. This means that positive and negative things will be caused by this decision. Positives will always be in favor of qat dealers. Farmers’ income will decrease, therefore, they cannot get all that they need because there is a number of farmers who do not have any other resource except qat. I am sure that citizens and employees will not abide by the new system of working time or by any other decision.”
Dealers of Qat:
Naseer Hamoud Al-Yaf’ei – Hasabah market:
“Moving qat markets out of cities has a bad influence for us on the one hand and for the price of qat on the other. Regarding the price of qat, it will increase gradually, but the volume of consumers will decrease. This will force us to think of other ways for living. This will force us to commit crimes, and it will cause problems between us and any one who tries to stand in our way. In fact, we were happy as we heard the decision of changing working time because there is no crowd inside markets as it was before.
Suppose that qat markets were moved out of cities. I will smuggle qat by any means because buying qat has become a job through which I can cover my family’s expenses. So how can I leave this job while I have no other occupation?”
Yahya Saleh Atteah – Hasabah Market:
“The decision of moving qat out of cities is not a good idea. It does not have any relation to improving living. The presence of qat dealers inside markets out of the city causes many problems between those dealers on the one hand and between the consumers on the other. The price of qat will increase, the number of consumers will decrease, but the farmer will not be affected because he will sell qat to anyone.
It is true that markets witnessed a little improvement after changing working time, but we will not agree to move qat out of the cities. I, myself depend upon the qat trade, and I do not have any other work. This will force us to stealing and begging.”
Faisal Abdullah Mohammed – Al Hashedi- Haeil market:
“This decision is not correct, it does not have any relation with the reality of people. I think that those who think of taking this decision are far away from the reality of society for the following reasons:
1- These markets are here for a long period of time, and during this period no problems happen to have bad effects on the society.
2- Qat price will increase because of additional costs for obtaining it due to remoteness of the place where to get it.
3- The people of limited income, especially youth who do not have work, will resort to other immoral works.
4- Most qat dealers who depend on it will turn to bring it by force into cities. This will cause many problems and bad results. In addition, there are small groups of people who work close to the markets of qat where they earn their living. This reduces begging, especially among children.
Dealers of qat will suffer a lot, while farmers do not care whether markets are inside cities or outside. If qat markets are really moved, I will sacrifice to smuggle it by different means even if it costs me my life because I do not have anything else to do. Are qat markets the main reason in the financial and administrative corruption in our country?”
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