News

Malaysia, 04 Jul 2005 -- The bird flu situation in many Asian countries remains critical and requires more attention by affected countries and the international community, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said today. “Eradication of the virus from the eight affected Asian countries will not be easily achieved. Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza must be considered as an endemic disease and must be controlled at source in animals,” FAO’s Chief Veterinary Officer Joseph Domenech [more...]

Thailand, 01 Jul 2005 -- The FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific is supporting an Asia-Pacific animation competition for peace and development - organized by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and sponsered by Thailand's Software Industry Promotion Agency to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the United Nations.With $15,000 total prize money for Asia-Pacific winners, this international contest is an opportunity to showcase your creativity to a [more...]

Thailand, 28 Jun 2005 -- Driven by higher prices in 2004 and expanding cultivation, global paddy rice production in 2005 is estimated to surpass 621 million tonnes, the highest level on record, FAO said today.The June 2005 issue of FAO’s Rice Market Monitor is forecasting that global paddy production could swell to 621 million tonnes as rice producing countries are reacting to the rise in prices witnessed in 2004 by expanding cultivation.If confirmed at that [more...]

Thailand, 23 Jun 2005 -- In Thailand the emergency phase was mostly over within two months of the tsunami, and the country is now well into the recovery phase. The Government – with support from the United Nations Country Team – is now moving towards longer term rehabilitation and recovery in four key areas: social protection, livelihood recovery, environmental rehabilitation and disaster preparedness.[…] The Royal Thai Government is widely acknowledged to have led an effective [more...]

Thailand, 10 Jun 2005 -- FAO releases training package on creating digital librariesAs part of an ongoing e-learning initiative known as the Information Management Resource Kit (IMARK), FAO has released the second in a series of training modules aimed at improving the management and sharing of agricultural information. The "Digitization and Digital Libraries" module was developed in collaboration with UNESCO to teach librarians and non-specialists how to digitize documents and put them online to create [more...]

Cambodia, 10 Jun 2005 -- A new field guide on prevention and control of bird flu for use by farmers, veterinary workers and paraprofessionals is now available from the internet at www.fao.org/ag/againfo/subjects/documents/ai/AI-paravets-guide.pdf, produced by FAO in Cambodia in association with Agronomes et Vétérinaires Sans Frontières (VSF-CICDA). The attractively produced guide is specifically intended for animal health staff and people working in backyard and small-scale poultry production units, emphasizing simple and inexpensive measures for bird flu [more...]

Thailand, 09 May 2005 -- New FAO report on best practices in Asia and the Pacific9 May 2005, Bangkok – Strengthening property rights, paying attention to people’s livelihoods and developing appropriate institutional structures are keys to effective forest management, FAO said today at the launch of the report In search of excellence: exemplary forest management in Asia and the Pacific. The report provides examples of how people have successfully tackled challenges in managing their forests [more...]

Indonesia, 05 May 2005 -- The 26 December 2004 earthquake, tsunami and the 29 March 2005 earthquake caused great loss of life, damage and disruption. It strongly affected the primary sector’s economy, but did not induce major structural changes within the Provinces. The current estimated cost for the rehabilitation ‘Blueprint’ is Rp 41.1 trillion (about US$4.1 billion) over the next five years.Before the Tsunami, almost 30 percent of the population in Aceh Province lived below [more...]

Sri Lanka, 02 May 2005 -- On 21 May 2005, Revathi Balakrishnan, FAO’s senior sociologist (gender and development) will present an invited paper on Millennium Development Goal 1: Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger and Distance Education during the Asian Round Table on Open and Distance Learning for Attainment of Millennium Development of Goals, marking the 25th Anniversary Celebrations of the Open University of Sri Lankan in collaboration with the Commonwealth of Learning. [more...]

the Philippines, 02 May 2005 -- The National Commission for the Role of Filippino Women is organizing a one day meeting on Post-Beijing+10 Forum: Updates on Rural Women Sector on 3 May 2005 at ITCAF, Quezon City. The gathering will identify persistent gender equality gaps and constrains in the advancement of rural women, feeding into the UN review process. FAO Bangkok is supporting this initiative. [more...]