ABSTRACT
Subsistence agriculture, which underwrites only the meagerest standard of living for most Yemenis, is based on a mixed regime of grain production and animal husbandry. The only cash crop of any significance is qat. In order of importance the most common domestic animals found in rural Yemen are cattle, sheep and goats, chickens, donkeys, cats, and dogs. Sorghum compares favorably with wheat in terms of nutritional value, supplying slightly more calories and only a little less protein. In rural areas it is consumed as asid, a kind of mush made from ground grain and boiling water. Although subsistence agriculture dominates the highlands a limited number of cash crops are grown. These include leeks, radishes, alfalfa, and qat. Highland landforms are of basically two types: rugged mountain areas with relatively steep slopes and narrow valleys which typically are bisected by a perennial stream or season wadi, and broad highland plains.
