in CWANA countries. Permanent crops under irrigation (dates, citrus) are in almost all the countries of North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula and Southwest Asia. These regions have very diverse fruit and vegetable species. The high demand for them in international markets pushes most of these countries to invest heavily in their horticultural sector to increase productivity.

Vegetable production has increased from about 20x106 tonnes in the 1960s to 96x106 tonnes in 2005 (representing 11% of world vegetable production). It is mainly concentrated in Southwest Asia (6% of world production) and the Nile Valley and Red Sea subregions. Due to increases in harvested area and in yields production rose from 10.6 tonnes ha-1 in 1960-1965 to 19.5 tonnes ha-1 in 2000-2005 (world average in 1960-1965: 9.7 tonnes ha-1 and in 2000- 2005: 16.8 tonnes ha-1). While production in the Nile Valley and Red Sea regions continues to climb, production in South Asia and West Asia is stable and even slightly decreasing.

The same growth trends can be observed in overall fruit production, which took off in the early 1980s. Countries of the Arabian Peninsula have followed this trend in fruit production, while their horticultural production has lagged behind. The North African countries have fluctuating horticultural production. Fresh fruits and vegetables are becoming important export products for exporting countries and should be an important component of protected agriculture and crop diversification programs in CWANA countries.

CWANA produces about 11.4% of world fruit, with yields slightly below the world average. While yields in the 1960s were 5.1 tonnes ha-1 (world average: 7.5 tonnes ha-1), they reached 8.9 tonnes ha-1 (world average in 2000-2005: 9.7 tonnes ha-1). Yield did not increase evenly. In the Nile Valley and the Red Sea regions, fruit yields are the highest, with an average of about 13 tonnes ha-1, while the world average yield is about 10 tonnes ha-1. Southwest Asia demonstrated the highest increase in yield, from 4.3 tonnes ha-1 in 1961 to near 10 tonnes ha-1 in 2005. In North Africa, fruit yield slightly decreased during the last 50 years. Increased production in the region is related to an increase in the area harvested, which doubled the last 50 years. The main increase came from the Nile Valley and Red Sea regions.

2.1.2.4 Oil crops

Important public investments in the agricultural sector in Turkey and Pakistan in West Asia and South Asia, in Egypt and Somalia in the Nile Valley and the Red Sea and in Morocco and Tunisia in North Africa caused important increases in oil crop production of the CWANA region. The production increased from about 700,000 tonnes in 1961- 1965 to more than 2.3x106 tonnes in 2001-2005 in South Asia and West Asia, accounting for 56% of the total production in CWANA in the 2000s. Nile Valley, Red Sea and North Africa subregions also had important increases in oil crop production.

2.1.2.5 Crop-livestock-range systems

Crop-livestock-range systems are the most widespread form of agricultural production in CWANA. They are the least intensive in land and water use. Their distinguishing

features are the use of arable crops and natural rangeland to feed small ruminants, the principal economic output of the system. Although cropland and animals are generally associated with strong systems of private property and smallholders, the predominant production unit, property regimes associated with rangelands are less well defined. Open and uncontrolled access to rangeland often results in extreme overgrazing.

Crop-livestock-range systems are primarily on the margins of major rainfed and irrigated cropping zones and are often associated with seasonal movement of animals and households. The integration of crops and livestock is promising for low-income small-scale farmers. A great advantage of crop and livestock integration is that it uses diverse resources, such as fodder legumes, crop residues and livestock manure in a system of nutrient recycling. Livestock provide high profit per unit of labor, plus valuable manure for a soil improver. Livestock also have the advantage of being relatively easy to market, compared with harvested crops. There is a steady demand for livestock products, with relatively high and stable prices.

Increasing population, urbanization and incomes in CWANA are leading to a growth in demand for animal products, which opens opportunities for resource-poor farmers in domestic and export markets. However, these farmers face the challenge of producing for a competitive market. The role of technology is to promote the adoption of improved animal health and nutrition practices, genetic enhancement and better handling to achieve higher productivity. Plant species adapted to these dry areas can increase feed supply. During dry years barley, vetches, oats or other forage crops can improve the supply and quality of feed and prevent soil erosion, especially on hillsides. Spineless cactus or shrubs (like Atriplex halimus) alone or intercropped with other forage crops can also improve the supply and quality of feed.

Multinutrient feed blocks made from agroindustrial by-products and other ingredients are a low-cost source of supplements that can increase animal productivity. In addition, addressing and preventing endemic diseases leads to improved livestock productivity. Early weaning of lambs is another way to increase milk production. Improved rams can be distributed to producers to improve flock performance. Lamb fattening and dairy processing into high-value commodities and targeting niche markets can help increase earnings from small ruminant enterprises (Aw-Hassan et al., 2005). A holistic program that includes production, management and health of both small and large ruminants would increase productivity and animal health.

Irrigated fodder crops are important in Egypt. Berseem (trifolium forage legume) represents over 20% of the cropped area. These fodder crops are present in each country of the Arabian Peninsula, from 12% in Saudi Arabia to 32% in Qatar. In Kyrgyzstan, fodder crops represent 37% of the irrigated cropped area.

2.1.2.6 Use of inputs

Use of agricultural inputs varies in different CWANA subregions. The countries in the Arabian Peninsula, Nile Valley and Red Sea regions and North Africa practice extensive agriculture, while South Asian and West Asian countries