FIFTEENTH PLENARY MEETING
QUINZIEME SEANCE PLENIERE
15^a SESION PLENARIA

(20 June 1979)

The Fifteenth Plenary Meeting was opened at 14.40 hours
B. Shaib, Independent Chairman of the Council, presiding

La quinzième séance plenière est ouverte à 14 h 40 sous la présidence
de B. Shaib, President indépendant du Conseil

Se abre la 15^a sesión plenaria a las 14.40 horas bajo la presidencia
de B. Shaib, Presidente Independiente del Consejo

CHAIRMAN: I am sure that after lunch, tempers have cooled and better judgement will prevail, but before we go on with the item, I would like to inform Council that the delegate of Uganda has just been appointed Minister and member of the Cabinet of Uganda, and I would like to congratulate him on behalf of all of us that he has been appointed Minister in his country.

APPLAUSE
APPLAUDISSEMENTS
APLAUSOS

CHAIRMAN: Now, the next point of information I would like to give you is that we have with us the Vice-Minister of Poland, and if Council will agree, I would like to give him the floor to say a few words.

STATEMENT BY THE VICE-MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE OF POLAND
DECLARATION DU VICE-MINISTRE DE L'AGRICULTURE DE POLOGNE
DECLARACION-DEL VICEMINISTRO DE AGRICULTURA DE POLONIA

A. KACALA (Poland): First of all, I would like to thank you, Mr. Chairman, for giving the opportunity to our delegation, which is in the capacity of an Observer, to take the floor at so important a session of the Council.

Our delegation has not participated in previous meetings. However, I would like to refer very briefly also to some basic subjects which have been under discussion, in particular the world food situation and the World Food Security System. The document CL 75/2, in our opinion, very accurately presents the food situation of the world.

Two conclusions deserve particular emphasis, namely, decrease of the rate of growth of food production, both total and per capita, in the Seventies in comparison with the Sixties, as well as still existing uncertainty as to the possibility of meeting the demand for basic food products in the coming years.

Since in the developing countries there is an increasing trend for the importation of grains, the production of which this year will presumably be a few percent lower than in the past year, an increase in prices and difficulties connected with it for the importing countries may appear. The available grain stocks without an International Grains Agreement do not ensure food security in the world, as is correctly emphasized in the FAO documents. In this situation, the renewed initiative of FAO aiming at setting up the World Food Security System in the form of the Five-Point Programme of the Director-General of the FAO should be welcomed with appreciation. Our delegation believes that in spite of all the difficulties in obtaining satisfactory solutions in a short time, it is absolutely necessary to continue efforts aiming at setting up an international system which would effectively protect the population of all countries from famine.

Concentrating attention and means on the development of plant and animal production in the developing countries is undoubtedly just, and the giving of a more practical character to the activities of the Organization allows hope for achieving successful results in this regard. A number of developing countries achieved considerable growth in food production in the Seventies, which indicates the existence of reserves and possibilities' that have not been used so far.

In the context of rapid population growth in many regions of the world, the initiative of FAO aiming at estimating natural resources on a world scale and potential possibilities of production development seems most valuable to us. This kind of study can be most useful for determining development trends of agricultural production, and the need for "registering" of stocks becomes the more important as many countries have not made any estimates of .natural resources or have not had technical possibilities for carrying them out.

The Programme approved by FAO meets the most urgent.needs of developing countries and should be continued. It seems, however, that equal attention and means should be given to the problem of both pre- and post-harvest losses.

As appears from the presented documents, FAO through the Investment Centre is carrying on large-scale activities aiming at assistance to developing countries in establishing investment trends and in obtaining credits for agricultural development.

In the opinion of the Polish Delegation, this form of activity is one of the most important in granting practical assistance to developing countries and should be further expanded. The development of agricultural production is connected with necessary institutional and social changes in rural areas, particularly in the form of agrarian reforms. The calling of the World Conference on Agrarian Reforms and Rural Development in July best proves the great importance that is attached to the matter both by the FAO and by the governments.

The Polish Delegation welcomes with satisfaction the fact that both in the programme of activities of the Organization and in the budget proposed for the years 1980-81, rural development programmes play a significant role. Regardless of the amount of the budget which will be finally settled at the Conference, it will be necessary to continue efforts aiming at the most reasonable use of funds and at limiting administrative expenses and others not directly connected with the development of agricultural production.

In conclusion, I would like to say that in the opinion of the Polish delegation the priorities of operation of the Organization for the years 1980-81 are fixed in the right order, and indications are that our Organization will play an evergrowing role in solving the problems of world agriculture and food economy.

CHAIRMAN: Thank you very much, Vice-Minister of Poland.