FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific

Soaring food prices in the Pacific - FAO providing US$2.5 million emergency assistance

09/09/2008 Samoa

Apia - Pacific island countries will benefit from US$2.5 million emergency assistance from FAO for increased agricultural and livestock production, targeting small farmers and poor consumers in 14 Pacific islands.

Under this short-term assistance – part of the Initiative on Soaring Food Prices (ISFP) launched by FAO late last year - vulnerable households are empowered with necessary basic resources to improve farm production and increase the supply of food on local markets.

"Food prices have risen sharply over the last twelve months, forcing poor islanders to reduce their consumption of basic foods," said Vili Fuavao, FAO's sub-regional representative for the Pacific. "The increased cost of oil is eroding small farmers' ability to investments in food and agricultural production," he added.

ISFP financial and technical support for 14 Pacific islands will benefit an estimated half million Pacific islanders.

In Fiji, US$250 000 will provide inputs to increase rice production by at least 800 tonnes next year.

Small farmers, women’s groups and schools in Kiribati will be able to increase vegetable and pig production with funding of US$250 000 (for vegetable seeds, planting material, pigs and boars together with materials for pens).

Current soaring food and energy prices are contributing to further poverty in many vulnerable groups in Papua New Guinea. FAO will provide thousands of small farmers with rice seeds and other planting material, rice processing equipment and production inputs, totaling US$500 000.

Poor people in Samoa have reduced consumption of basic foods. To reverse this situation, FAO will provide seeds and fertilizers for vegetable production, planting materials as well as breeding sows and boars together with materials for pens valued at US$250 000.

Rapid assistance will be given in the Solomon Islands for next year's rice cropping totaling US$250 000 (seeds, fertilizers, power tillers and milling equipment).

In Tonga, FAO’s assistance of US$250 000 will provide for sows, boars for pig breeding and vegetable seeds, fertilizers and equipment to increase cassava production and processing into flour.

US$250 000 funding in Vanuatu will focus on household-level small-scale agriculture with short production cycles such as vegetables, yam, sweet potato and banana.

A regional project will provide US$500 000 assistance to small farmers in Cooks Islands (vegetables and root crops), Marshal Islands, Niue and Tuvalu (vegetables, permaculture chicken production), Nauru (vegetables), Federated States of Micronesia (banana, tapioca and tapioca flour) and Palau (vegetables, bananas and sweet potatoes).

For more information Vili Fuavao, FAO sub-regional representative for Pacific Island Countries, telephone +685 21127 or email [email protected]

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