Annexes

Annex 1
Press Clippings

Selected news clippings on FAO in the Asia-Pacific Region

1998

HEADLINES

• Vietnam rises in rice exports as FAO adjusts estimates

• Demands for fish could surpass levels

• 24th FAO Regional Conference ends in Myanmar

• FAO briefs tropical fruit traders

• FAO says RP may suffer from tight food supply situation this crop season

• Rgional crisis dampens imports

• Roundup - World gripped by conservation of domestic animal diversity

• ‘Jasmati’ Piracy de nounced

• People in the News

• Indian Government-Well-concerted action needed to control the locust

Vietnam rises in rice exports as FAO adjusts estimates

23/02/98 -- VIETNAM could emerge as a rice exporting competitor to Thailand, as the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has forecast that its rice exports for 1998 could be 500,000 tonnes over the 3.5 million tonnes initially forecast, largely due to good harvests. Exports of rice by Thailand, which is the world's leading rice exporter, are expected to increase by 100,000 tonnes from the previous forecast to a total of 5.3 million tonnes, based on expectations of higher demand. The FAO's forecast for global rice stocks at the end of the 1998 marketing season has been increased by 1.6 million tonnes to a total of about 53.6 million tonnes. The FAO has also just revised its estimates of paddy production in 1997, both in the world market and especially in Asia. In many cases the FAO has adjusted its previous estimates. Drought as a result of the El Nino phenomenon was responsible for many of the inaccurate paddy production predictions, especially in Indonesia. Other causes included delayed planting and the inefficient use of water reserves, which are problems in Thailand. As a result the FAO reduced its estimated total output of paddy in Thailand by 360,000 tonnes, to 20.6 million tonnes. The FAO's new estimate for global paddy output is 571 million tonnes, three million tonnes above the previous year's level. In Asia, the new estimated total output of paddy is 520 million tonnes, two million more than previously forecast. The preliminary forecast of world rice trade in 1998 by the FAO has been increased by 900,000 tonnes from the previous report to 19.9 million tonnes. This upward revision results from a combination of reduced estimates of supplies in many of the major importing countries, and the delayed seeding of the 1998 main-season crop in some countries in the southern hemisphere, which could reduce yields. Most of the increase in trade is accounted for by Indonesia because of the prolonged drought which has damaged planting areas and led to a shortfall in production and to an increase in domestic prices, necessitating increased imports. In addition, part of the world rice trade is the result of compliance with Uruguay Round commitments which forced member countries to import rice from outside markets. In Africa, the new paddy production estimates for 1997 have increased by 500,000 tonnes, to 5.6 million tonnes. In Australia, the estimated paddy crop was about 1.4 million tonnes last year, up from 951,000 tonnes in 1996. In the United States, the new estimated output remains unchanged at 8.1 million tonnes. The trend of rice exports for Thailand in 1997 was not that good. It was estimated to be around 18.2 million tonnes, 1.3 million tonnes below the volume exported in 1996 and 2.5 million tonnes less than that in 1995. This decline can be attributed to lower import demands due to an increase in supplies in most of the major importing countries because of good harvests and large imports carried over from 1996.

THE NATION ■

Demands for fish could surpass levels

Yangon, 21 April — Fish and fish products are an important part of the daily food eaten by large segments of the population in Asia and the Pacific. Fisheries is, thus, crucial for food security in the region and contributes to economic and social well-being in all developing countries in Asia-Pacific. About 85 percent of the fishers in the world live in Asia and the Pacific and produced 52 percent of world fishery production in 1995. Income from fishery exports from Asia also increased to more than 19 million US dollars in the same year. It is estimated, however, that the demand of food-fish for direct human consumption in this region by 2010 would require 24 million tons more than the current level of production. This amount is unlikely to be met from significant increases in marine fishery production as most coastal resources in the region are overexploited or even already depleted. Urgent action is, therefore, required to promote responsible fisheries in both nearshore and offshore areas, and development of sustainable aquaculture should be accelerated.

The Senior Officers Meeting (SOM) of the 24^th FAO Regional Conference, held at the Sedona Hotel in Yangon, Myanmar, 20 to 22 April, reviewed the current status and increasing demand for fish and agreed that even greater attention should be given to fisheries management. A good guide exists, the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and the SOM requested FAO to organize workshops and seminars on the implications and subsequent implementation of the Code at the sub-regional and regional levels.

The SOM also saw the need to strengthen international cooperation and coordination in fisheries conservation and management in the region and agreed that the FAO-based Asia-Pacific Fishery Commission (APFIC) is one of the best mechanisms for such cooperation. The SOM supported the work of APFIC and asked FAO to assume a leadership role in cooperation and coordination among various fishery organizations in the region so as to avoid duplications.

The fisheries sector in national economies of countries from the region is however very diverse. Different fish production strategies need to be developed and thus differing fish production strategies need to be pursued for optimizing fish yields under specific agro-ecological conditions. Land-locked countries, such as Nepal, should promote inland fisheries and aquaculture, while the Pacific Islands countries should ensure better sustainable management of marine fisheries.

The Ministerial-level segment of the Conference will open on Thursday, 23 April. The FAO Director-General, Dr. Jacques Diouf, who arrived in Yangon on 20 April as a guest of state, will deliver his statement to the Conference on Thursday, 23 April. — MNA

24th FAO REGIONAL CONFERENCE ENDS IN MYANMAR

27/04/98 : (XINHUA) - The five-day 24th Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) regional conference for Asia and the Pacific wound up here on Friday with adoption of a report calling for concerted efforts by all countries in the region to implement the World Food Summit plan of action. The report also called on countries in the region to be resolute in sustaining resource allocations for agricualture and food security in face of the constraints that the recent economic crisis had imposed on some countries in the region.

The conference expressed concern over the El Nino phenomenon and other natural disasters, and requested the FAO to support these countries in their preparedness to deal with natural disasters, and assist them by strengthening national and regional early warning systems within the framework of the global information and early warning system.

Referring to the fact that about 85 per cent of the world's fishers live in Asia and the Pacific which contribute more than half of the world's fishery production, the conference agreed that urgent action is needed to promote fisheries and to accelerate development of sustainable aqquaculature. At the conference, Jacques, Diouf, Director-General of the FAO, called for regional and sub-regional cooperation in drawing up effective framework in support of the sustainable development of agriculture.

The conference agreed that the next FAO regional conference for Asia and the Pacific will be held in Tokyo, Japan, in the year 2000.

The conference, which began on Monday with a three-day senior officials meeting and a two-day ministerial meeting, is the first regional gathering of agricultural ministers since the 1996 World Food Summit held in Rome, Italy.

Attending the conference were about 150 representatives from 26 FAO member countries in Asia and the Pacific, U.N. agencies and non-governmental organisations.

LAO NEWS AGENCY. NEWS BULLETIN 27/04/98

FAO briefs tropical fruit traders

28/05/98 NATION.

PATTAYA - More than 95 per cent of world production and exports of tropical fruit originate from developing countries. It is estimated that some 56 million tonnes of tropical fruit were produced in 1997 compared with 64 million tonnes for oranges, 59 million tonnes for bananas and 56 million tonnes for apples.

Tropical fruit production consists 40 per cent mangoes, 23 per cent pineapples, 9 per cent papayas, 4 per cent avocados with others (mangosteen, lychee, rambutan, durian, etc) making up the balance of 24 per cent.

Tropical fruit is mostly consumed domestically in the producing countries. In terms of trade, the volume of tropical fruit exports is relatively small at about two million tonnes, but the value is significant at over US$1.1 billion.

In addition, increasing quantities are exported in processed form, approaching $1.1 billion per year.

Opening the first session of the Sub-Group on Tropical Fruits in Pattaya on Monday. FAO regional chief Dr Soetatwo Hadiwigeno warned delegates that “tropical fruit are widely perceived by developing countries as representing viable options for diversification from certain traditional export crops which have experienced downward trends in prices. However, future international trade prospects are subject to uncertainties, some of which derive from the very success of export efforts of the pioneers in the field. In particular, diversification into tropical fruit has in some cases been encouraged without sufficient knowledge of potential market outlays, with resultant adverse price effects for all suppliers”.

Kaison Chang, FAO senior commodity specialist, added that world trade in fresh tropical fruit in 1996 reached 1.8 million tonnes, an increase of 14 per cent over 1995, while the export volume of processed products increased by only 1 per cent to 1.4 million tonnes. The slowdown of trade in processed fruit reflects the large reduction in export availability of pineapple products from Thailand, the leading exporter, caused by two consecutive droughts.

“The export market for tropical fruit, particularly in developed countries, is a specialty market and is typically demand-driven,” said Chang. In value terms, exports of tropical fruits -fresh and processed - in 1996 were nearly 18 per cent higher than they were in 1995, largely due to the rise in prices of pineapple products.

The Sub-Group on Tropical Fruits resorts under the FAO Committee on Commodity Problems (CCP), which has a unique role in providing a forum for consultations among governments of producing and consuming countries concerning market development and prospects.

One of the major aims is to improve market transparency, especially in areas where global market intelligence systems would otherwise be lacking. The World Trade Organisation does not have commodity specific bodies, and the commodities covered by the CCP do not have an equivalent international commodity council.

TC Ti, senior marketing and trade economist from the FAO Bangkok office, said developed countries account for about 80 per cent of the world's imports of fresh tropical fruit. “Europe will remain the largest regional market with France being the largest importing country. North America is the second largest market and, like the US, Japan is a mature market with a wide selection of fruit available to consumers. Within the developing country group, Singapore and Hong Kong are the main importers of fresh tropical fruit”.

The first session of the Sub-group on Tropical Fruits was hosted by the Government of Thailand at the Dusit Resort in Pattaya City. The meet ends today.

Several important issues are on the agenda. Assessing the current market situation and short-term outlook, governments and market operators can foster a broader understanding of market opportunities for tropical fruit. This in turn is an important factor in assisting investment decisions and in improving prospects for profitable returns to growers and the trade.

Among the trade policy issues of particular concern to tropical fruit exporting countries are those relating to the application of harmonised sanitary and phytosanitary measures. The sub-group will have the opportunity to consider the impact of the Uruguay Round Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures on trade in tropical fruit. It will also be informed of some significant technical developments, for example the phase-out of the use of methyl bromide for combatting pests on fresh fruit shipments.

Another matter of substantial importance is the sub-group's decisions regarding the Global Tropical Fruits Network (TFNET) which holds the promise of being a dynamic mechanism to further the interests of the tropical fruit industry. The sub-group will inaugurate TFNET, agree on its appropriate structure, rules and procedures, venue, and scope of its work programme.

The meeting is being attended by 75 delegates from 33 member countries. In addition, 21 observers from non-member countries and international organisations are participating.

FAO says RP may suffer from tight food supply situation this crop season

15Jun98 BUSINESS WORLD (PHILIPPINES)

By Earl Warren B. Castillo.

The Philippines is expected to suffer from a “tight food supply situation” in the coming months for the 1997–1998 cropping season mainly due to the drought caused by the El Nino weather pattern, the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recently noted.

The country was named by FAO, in its Food Outlook report for April, as one among 37 countries currently suffering from food shortages from El Nino-caused droughts around the world.

The Food Outlook, which embodies FAO's projections for global crop production and food supplies, was presented at the recently concluded 33rd World Farmers Congress in Manila.

FAO noted that there are now 37 countries over the world coping with food shortages due to long-drawn dry spells from the El Nino weather, up from 31 countries identified last year.

These countries, according to FAO, have suffered from significant losses not only due to droughts but severe flood-ing from heavy rains as well.

With such agricultural losses, FAO predicts food aid shipments over the world for the present cropping year to rise 12% to 5.5 million tons from 4.9 million tons for 1996–1997.

In the Philippines, the country has already contracted a record 1.35 million metric tons of rice to cope with domestic shortage of the cereal.

The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) late last month announced that the rainy season had already begun but cautioned just the same that the El Nino occurrence may now be over yet.

After two weeks of continuous rains, the country is now experiencing fair weather in most parts mainly due to the “ridge” weather occurrence which interrupts the monsoon. PAGASA notes that this gap may last for a week to as long as one month.

Among continents, FAO said Africa continued to reel from the most acute food shortages due to unfavorable weather and civil strife. The African continent, the UN agency said, not only suffered droughts but subsequent floods as well, especially in parts of eastern Africa which reported significant losses of crops and livestock.

Particular African countries which have been hit by heavy rains and flooding like Kenya. Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania are now being given food assistance. In Somalia, its worst flooding in many years has brought about heavy livestock losses as well as outbreaks of animal diseases.

In Asia, countries like Korea, Iraq, Indonesia and Mongolia continue to suffer “tight food supply situations,” while droughts have adversely affected cereal production in China and Thailand. Other affected countries include: Cuba, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia in Latin America and Papua New Guinea in the Pacific Rim.

FAO sees world production of cereals slightly dropping by 0.69% to 1.895 billion tons for the 1997–1998 cropping period from 1.908 billion tons for the previous period due to droughts casued by the El Nino weather.

While FAO noted that its projections of global crops were tentative - being based on the state already planted crops, planting intentions in the latter part of the year and the assumption of normal weather for the rest of the present cropping season - it did not discount a downtrend in production for the present cropping period.

“A deterioration of the prospects for 1998 crops cannot be ruled out, particularly in several southern hemisphere countries affected by unpredictable El Nino-associated weather, and this could reverse this year's modest improvement in the level of global cereal reserve stocks,” FAO said. ■

Roundup - World gripped by conservation of domestic animal diversity

KATHMANDU, 22 August (Xinhua) - Initiatives and programs are now under way around the globe for the conservation of domestic animal diversity which is losing rapidly, especially in developing countries.

“There is little doubt that the 160 or so developing countries harbor the majority of the world's farm animal genetic resources and associated animal diversity,” said Jacques Diouf, director general of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), in a statement to the Fourth Global Conference on Conservation of Domestic Animal Genetic Resources which ended here Friday.

A preliminary survey by FAO showed that most countries possess a number of the 5,000 or so remaining breeds of farm livestock, with the majority of them occurring only in one or another developing country.

“However, some 1,500 of the breeds are now categorized by FAO as endangered, and very preliminary data shows that less than 10 percent of these are being maintained in any managed population or cryoconservation bank,” the statement said.

On reasons for loss of domestic animal diversity, the statement noted that the need to provide rapidly increasing amounts of animal protein to expanding and more affluent human populations results in increasing pressure on the world's livestock sector and its major transformation.

It explained that since traditional feed resources are limited and animal numbers cannot expand to meet the expansion in product demand, livestock production is intensifying at a rapid pace.

In the process of intensification, the environmental constraints to animal production are alleviated or removed, as more and better resources, housing and veterinary care are provided.

“This process is inevitably associated with marked changes in the genetic resources required since some species and breeds can make better use of these high potential and much less variable production environments.

“Whereas the many widely differing, lower input production environments each require highly adapted and different animal genetic resources to realize sustainable systems,” the statement said.

It noted that while some loss of animal genetic resources is inevitable, and should be planned, the process of intensification at all input levels is not always driven by rational principles, nor is it always accompanied by appropriate technologies.

Other factors contributing to loss of genes include natural disasters, wars and other forms of socio-political instability.

It said that globally, animal production contributes to 40 percent of the total value of food and agriculture, with 1.96 billion people obtaining at least part of their livelihood from livestock.

It predicted that human population growth, progressive urbanization and increased purchasing power of people will result in the increasing demand for livestock products outpacing that for plant products over the coming decades.

“It is estimated that the demand for meat for the developing world will increase from 65 million tons in 1990 to 170–220 million tons by 2020,” the statement said.

For better use and development of the diversity associated with the irreplaceable biological resources to meet current and future food and agriculture needs, the governing bodies of FAO raised concern in 1989–90 and asked the organization to examine the feasibility of developing a program for the global management of animal genetic resources.

The statement said that in signing the Rome Declaration on World Food Security and developing the World Food Summit Plan of Action in 1996, governments reaffirmed the right of all human beings to have access to safe and nutritious food and to be free from hunger.

They agreed to promote the conservation and sustainable utilization of animal genetic resources.

Now governments of 176 countries have ratified the U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity.

Under the theme of Sustainable Development of Animal Genetic Resources, 161 scientists from 32 countries assembled in Kathmandu on August 18–21 and held discussions on sustainable agriculture, genetic distance and molecular markers, breed identification and characterization, and conservation of domestic animal diversity.

Director General Diouf said in his statement that future activities will be guided by two main considerations.

The first is that the conservation of a critical amount of animal genetic resources and the maintenance of diversity are considered of high importance.

And the second is that the necessary substantial increases over the coming decades in rate and efficiency of livestock production will inevitably lead to changes in both the genetic composition of livestock populations and the relative importance of different breeds, he said.

XINHUA NEWS AGENCY NEWS BULLETIN 22/08/98 ■

INDIAN GOVT - WELL-CONCERTED ACTION NEEDED TO CONTROL THE LOCUST MENACE

Annex 2
RAP Publications — 1998

I. REGIONAL OFFICE PUBLICATIONS

General

Women Feed the World
Fact Sheets on Women in Agriculture, Environment and Rural Population (ten countries)
FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific - pamphlet
Report of the 24th FAO Regional Conference (in English, French and Chinese)
The Lives of Maliwan - English and Thai versions

Agriculture

Report of the Expert Consultation on Deciduous Fruit Development in Asia
Integrated Production Practices in Cashew in Asia
Cut Flower Production in Asia: Proceedings
Report of the Joint Regional Workshop on Land Vulnerability Assessment for Food Security Using Agro-Ecological Zoning (AEZ)
Land Resource Information System (LRIS) Information
Expert Consultation of the Asian Network on Problem Soils
Silkworm Rearing, Diseases and their Control in Asia
Selected Indicators of Food and Agriculture Development in the Asia-Pacific Region, 1987–1997
Regional Expert Consultation on the Promotion of Market-Oriented Production System
Amazing Thai Vetivers
RAP Bulletin 1998–99 Rural energy in the Asia Pacific region; Combustion and gassification of biomass

Livestock

Proceedings of the Regional Workshop on Area-Wide Integration of Crop-Livestock Activities, Bangkok, 18–20 June 1998
Proceedings of the FAO-EMPRES FMD Contingency Planning Workshop

Nutrition

Get the best from your food (in Thai)

Fisheries

Community-Based Fisheries Management in Phang-nga Bay, Thailand
Rural Aquaculture: Overview and Framework for Country Reviews Status of Fishery Statistics in Asia
Indian Ocean Fishery Commission Report of the BOBC, September 1997

Forestry

Leasing Degraded Forest Land: An Innovative Way to Integrate Forest and Livestock Development in Nepal
Proceedings of the Second Regional Seminar on Teak, 29 May–3 June 1995
Carbon Dioxide Offset Investment in the Asia-Pacific Forestry Sector:
Opportunities and Constraints
National Forest Programmes - Update No 33
Newsletter Tiger Paper, Vol 25: Nos 1–4, 1998
Asia-Pacific Forestry Sector Outlook Study
Beyond Timber: Social, Economic and Cultural Dimensions of Non-wood Forest Products in Asia and the Pacific

II. PUBLICATIONS BY REGIONAL TECHNICAL COMMISSIONS, REGIONAL NETWORKS AND OTHER REGIONAL BODIES

AFMA

Report of the FAO/AFMA/Philippines Regional Seminar on Legislation to Improve Agricultural Marketing Development
Report of the Regional Workshop on Agricultural Marketing and Agribusiness Training
Report of the Regional Seminar on the Role of State Enterprises to Improve Stocking, Storage and Handling of Foodgrains
Minutes of the Eighteenth Session of the Executive Committee and the Eighth General Assembly of AFMA
AFMA Constitution and Bylaws (amended as of 29/10/98)
AFMA Newsletter, Food Marketing News, Vols 37, 38 and 39

APAARI

Rice in Malaysia: A Success Story
Groundnut in China: A Success Story
APAARI Newsletter, Vol 7, Nos 1 and 2, June 1998 and December 1998

Asia-Pacific Rural and Agricultural Credit Association (APRACA)

Institutional Structure: Why it Matters
Access to Formal Credit: Institutional Readiness of Village Groups
Extending a Helping Hand: Matching the Financial Needs of the Rural Poor

Micro Financial Systems Development in Asian Transitional Economies
Profiles of APRACA Member Institutions
APRACA Newsletter (monthly), Jan-Dec 1998
MICROSERV Update (quarterly), Vol. 2, Nos. 1, 2 and 3
MICROSERV Info Market Monographs, Vol. 1, Nos. 1–6

NEDAC

NEDAC General Assembly Third Session, New Delhi, India, 24–28 November 1997
NEDAC: Regional Workshop on Strengthening the Management and Development of Agricultural Cooperatives, Manila, the Philippines, 21–25 April 1997
NEDAC Regional Workshop on Financial Viability of Agricultural Co-operatives, Comilla, Bangladesh, 20–23 May 1998
Study of Cooperative Legislation in Selected Asia and Pacific Countries

APFIC

Report of the 67^th Session of the APFIC Executive Committee
APFIC: Its Evolution, Achievements and Future Direction
Report of the Twenty-Sixth Session of APFIC, China, 24–30 September 1998

APRANEX

Report of the First Meeting of the Agricultural Extension Network for Asia and the Pacific (APRANEX)

Asia Pacific Network for Food and Nutrition

Report of the Regional Expert Consultation of the Asia-Pacific Network for Food and Nutrition on the Establishment of Food Insecurity and Vulnerability Information and Mapping System (FIVIMS), Bangkok, 20–23 October 1998

Asia-Pacific Agroforestry Network

APA News, No 14, April 1998

Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission

Report of the Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission

Regional Commission on Farm Management for Asia and the Pacific

Report of the Fourteenth Session of the Regional Commission on Farm Management for Asia and the Pacific
FARM Management Notes, Issue No 24

Annex 3
FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
Meetings held in 1998

Note : This compilation includes meetings, workshops, training sessions, expert sessions, consultations and conferences held by FAO regional office technical divisions, commissions, regional networks and other FAO-sponsored regional bodies.

Annex 4
Member countries of the FAO Asia and Pacific region

FAO Member Nations in the Asia Region (as of 24 April 1998)

Bangladesh
Bhutan
Cambodia
China
Democratic People's
Republic of Korea
India
Indonesia
Iran, Islamic Republic of
Japan
Kazakhstan
Korea, Republic of
Lao PDR
Malaysia
Maldives
Mongolia
Myanmar
Nepal
Pakistan
Philippines
Sri Lanka
Tajikistan
Thailand
Viet Nam

FAO Member Nations in the Southwest Pacific Region (as of 24 April 1998)

Australia
Cook Islands
Fiji
France
New Zealand
Papua New Guinea
Samoa
Solomon Islands
Tonga
United States of America
Vanuatu

Annex 5
List of Professional staff (as of 31 December 1998)