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Siem Reap – Senior government statisticians from 17 Asia-Pacific countries and FAO experts are meeting this week at a regional forum to discuss ways to improve governments’ access to reliable and up-to-date agricultural data to ensure effective agricultural and rural development policies and programmes.Cambodia’s Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, HE Chan Sarun inaugurated this morning the 23rd Session of the Asia and Pacific Commission on Agricultural Statistics (APCAS), 26...

Dhaka - The Government of Bangladesh and FAO have signed today a new project 'Enhancing Rural Communication Services for Agricultural Development through Community Rural Radio', the first of 12 rural radio initiatives cleared recently by the government under the Right to Information Act 2009.FAO, in collaboration with the Agricultural Information Services (AIS) of the Ministry of Agriculture, will set-up the first Community Rural Radio in Amtoli upazila in the Borguna...

Port Vila - Messages resonating from the inaugural Pacific Food Summit are clear: everyone – from the Government to food traders to producers to community groups to individuals- has responsibility for making sure that all Pacific people have access to safe, nutritious, local food. This is critical to ensure the future health and prosperity of the Pacific. More than 170 delegates gathered over 3 days to discuss current concerns and...

Boosting agriculture, creating viable local food systems and protecting the vulnerable will have measurable impacts on improving Pacific food securityPort Vila - Sustainable local agriculture and protecting the rights of the vulnerable have emerged as strong themes on Day Two of the Pacific Food Summit being held in Port Vila, Vanuatu.If people don’t have access to safe, healthy, nutritious food, health and development outcomes are dramatically negatively impacted. Increasing sustainable...

Interview on EU Food Facility in NepalPolitical instability, high food and fuel prices and a severe winter drought in 2009 have left over 3 million people in Nepal with not enough to eat. With €8 million in funding from the EU Food Facility, the European Union’s € one billion response to rising hunger in the world, FAO is partnering with government and the World Food Programme (WFP) to help boost...

Port Vila (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) -- Faced with rising levels of obesity and a growing urban-rural divide with high rates of underemployment, senior Pacific island government officials, food industry executives and civil society organization leaders will hold a Pacific Food Summit here this week (21-23 April 2010), in partnership with a number of UN and regional agencies, to consider strategies and actions that could improve...

Dili, 13 April 2010 – During 2009, food production in Timor-Leste increased by 20 percent over the previous year, largely due to the provision of good quality agricultural inputs during the agricultural season 2008-2009. Maize production for 2009 was estimated at 170 000 tonnes and rice production was almost 72 000 tonnes (milled rice), reducing the country’s food import requirement to 10 000 tonnes.According to a Crop Survey conducted by...

First national from Japan to head RAPBangkok --- FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf announced the appointment of Hiroyuki Konuma as Assistant Director-General and FAO Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific (RAP) effective 1 March 2010.Mr Konuma is the first national from Japan to head RAP since its establishment 62 years ago. One of five FAO regional offices across the world, the Bangkok-based office covers 43 member countries, together housing close...

Gopalganj - Integrated planning of water and agriculture is fundamental for scaling up farm production, advocated Ad Spijkers, FAO Representative in Bangladesh during a three day field mission to the south and south west of Bangladesh. He led the mission that included visiting FAO expert Benoist Veillerette and other officials from FAO and relevant government agencies.Water development"The Gorai river is the main source of water for the south and agriculture,...

Rome - South-South Cooperation accord signed at FAOVietnamese experts will help Chad implement a series of activities aimed at improving the African country's food security under a tripartite South-South Cooperation agreement signed here today.The activities, which involve irrigation for rice growing and horticulture, increased cereals production, artisanal fishing, bee-keeping and food processing, are part of Chad's five-year, $200 million National Programme for Food Security, which FAO helped design.Fifteen Vietnamese experts...