FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific

News and Press Releases

Improving fisher livelihoods in Zamboanga Del Norte
16.02.2011 Zamboanga Del Norte, the Philippines
Fishers in Zamboanga Del Norte will benefit following the signing of agreements formalizing collaboration between partners in the Spanish-funded Regional Fisheries Livelihoods Programme for South and Southeast Asia (RFLP) implemented by FAO. The agreements define major initiatives to be undertaken by RFLP and the roles and responsibilities of local government units, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and the provincial government of Zamboanga Del Norte necessary to ensure the...
Isaan rice farming families receive emergency inputs - Flood affected farmers to resume livelihoods
Today hundreds of farming families in Chaiyaphum province received rice seeds and fertilizers in the aftermath of last year’s flooding in the province.  Under an FAO emergency project for direct assistance to people who were severely affected by last October’s long lasting floods, rice seeds and fertilizers are delivered to 800 farmers in Chaiyaphum, one of the most severely affected areas, from today onwards. Each of the selected households received 50kg of...
Policy innovations needed for climate change adaptation in agriculture - Three FAO project agreements signed
Three agreements were signed today between the Thai Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives and FAO for technical assistance in the areas of climate change, food safety and aquaculture for a total of $633 000 (approximately Baht 19 million). Over the last decade, the impacts of climate change in Thailand have become increasingly evident and scientists project for the next 30 years an increase of annual average temperatures, changes in rainfall...
GIEWS Special Alert 330 China  Substantially below-normal rainfall since October 2010 in the North China Plain, the country’s main winter wheat producing area, puts at risk the winter wheat crop to be harvested later in the month of June. Low precipitation resulting in diminished snow cover has reduced the protection of dormant wheat plants against frost kill temperatures (usually below -18°C) during winter months from December to February. Low precipitation and thin snow...
Rice production to outpace demand, but some uncertainties remain - FAO’s Rice Market Monitor January 2011 issue published
FAO has raised its estimates for global rice production by 3 million tonnes, saying that global paddy production is expected to outpace demand. This will facilitate the building-up of stocks to their highest level since 2002. The agency cautioned, however, that some uncertainty remains, especially with respect to the crops that will be harvested in the next few months.The January 2011 FAO Rice Market Monitor expects the 2010 world paddy...
Government officials, scientists and representatives of non-governmental organizations from Thailand and Myanmar met late last month to discuss the joint management of the Mergui Archipelago, also known as the Myeik Archipelago in Myanmar. The Mergui Archipelago is a unique area about one hundred times the size of Phuket that transcends the western borders of Myanmar and Thailand, from the Similan Islands in Thailand north to beyond the coastal town of Mergui...
FAO is calling for veterinary and border control authorities in Asia to be on alert for animals showing signs of infection by Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), following an unprecedented outbreak of the livestock-affecting sickness in South Korea.Since late November 2010, South Korean authorities have imposed quarantines, initiated a vaccination campaign that is targeting nine million pigs and three million heads of cattle, and culled 2.2 million livestock. The overall cost of...
Preventing cassava devastation in Lao PDR
17.01.2011 Vientiane, the Lao People's Democratic Republic
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) has endorsed an FAO project to prevent substantial crop damage by an invasive pest, the cassava pink mealybug, in the Greater Mekong Subregion.The regional technical assistance project will develop pest-spread prevention strategies and biocontrol options to manage the insect. The project is expected to be completed by December 2012.The mealybug could represent a major threat to food and nutrition security in the Lao...
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) will dedicate a series of three soccer matches in the fight against hunger and poverty at an impressive show of football solidarity during the Asian Cup to be played in Doha, Qatar, promoted by FAO and AFC.The first match to be dedicated to the fight against hunger is the opening match of the Asian Cup to be played on 7 January between Qatar and Uzbekhistan....
Supported by conclusions from a new data scoping report, Pacific Island Countries plan to expand data collection on agriculture production, domestic food marketing and agriculture trade to provide decision-makers with actionable information that can be used to strengthen food security across the Pacific islands.Food security in the Pacific has been threatened for decades. Declining investment, climate change and deterioration of land and water for agriculture and fisheries have eroded the...