Bangladeshi agricultural experts to advise the Gambia

Bangladesh: early cauliflowers grown from improved seed FAO/17406

Bangladesh and the Gambia have signed a tripartite agreement with FAO to send Bangladeshi agricultural technicians to the West African country. The visiting technicians will share their experience and expertise in areas such as rice production, small animal husbandry, artisanal fisheries, aquaculture and small-scale water control technologies with their Gambian counterparts.

The cooperative accord, signed under the framework of FAO's Special Programme for Food Security (SPFS), will put Bangladeshi technical assistance services to work in the Gambia for three years. The effort will be funded by the governments of both countries and by FAO. Such "South-South Cooperation" under the SPFS is designed to strengthen cooperation between developing countries at different stages of development, with the support of interested donor countries and FAO.

Special Programme for Food Security
South-South Cooperation

30 June 1999

Official reports of foot-and-mouth disease from China

FAO has received an official report of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks in three provinces in China. The Director-General of the Bureau of Animal Production and Health in Beijing has communicated that there have been outbreaks in Fujian, Hainan and Tibet.

In Rikeze, Tibet, five outbreaks among cattle and pigs have led to the destruction of 60 cattle and nearly 1 200 pigs. In Ningde City, Fujian Province, two outbreaks involving 12 cases have led to 70 pigs being destroyed. In Baisha County, Hainan Province, eight sick cattle have been destroyed.

Laboratory diagnoses have shown the disease to be caused by FMD virus type 0. The authorities are destroying infected and susceptible animals and emergency vaccination is under way. There is also a ban on movement of animals to other districts. The report follows one last year recording outbreaks of FMD virus type 0 in two bordering counties in Yunnan province in July.

EMPRES homepage
FAO's EMPRES opens dialogue with China on animal disease control

15 June 1999

Latest EMPRES bulletin published

Issue No 9 of the EMPRES Transboundary Animal Disease Bulletin has a lead story on the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak in North Africa, where the disease has spread across Algeria and shown isolated outbreaks in Tunisia and Morocco. Control activities, which include a vaccination campaign to prevent the spread of the disease, have been put in place.

FAO/14189/R. Faidutti

The Bulletin is published every three months by FAO's Emergency Prevention System for Transboundary Animal and Plant Pests and Diseases. It can be read on the EMPRES web site or downloaded in pdf.

This issue carries updates and technical contributions on three major diseases - rinderpest, Rift Valley fever and Newcastle disease, as well as other news items from EMPRES and RADISCON (the Regional Animal Disease Surveillance and Control Network) and a special feature on transboundary animal diseases in Iraq.

EMPRES homepage

19 May 1999

Near East regional workshop on non-wood forestry products

An expert meeting on coordination of activities on non-wood forestry products (NWFP) in the Near East was held in Beirut from 10 to 12 May. One of the main topics discussed was the formulation of a regional project on NWFP development in the Near East.

FAO's regional forestry expert, Adnan Alfares said, "While wood is the predominant commercial product from most forests, increased attention is being paid to NWFP such as mushrooms, fodder, medicinal plants, insects and insect products like honey. NWFP have gained much importance in the forest communities of the Near East region. They offer interesting regional and international markets, provide income and help achieve food security for rural populations."

More on Non-Wood Forest Products

14 May 1999

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International Tropical Fruits Network launched at meeting in Australia

FAO/16232/Peyton Johnson

An International Tropical Fruits Network (ITFN) was launched at the first session of the Intergovernmental Group (IGG) on Bananas and on Tropical Fruits, held in Gold Coast, Australia, 4 to 8 May. The network will promote production, marketing, consumption and international trade in tropical fruits. Malaysia was elected to host the network headquarters.

The global market for organic bananas was high on the agenda of the IGG meeting. Global imports of fresh organic bananas reached some 27 000 tonnes at the end of 1998. Although still a small niche trade compared with total banana imports of more than 11 million tonnes, imports of organic bananas have been growing at approximately 30 percent a year since the early 1990s. The main markets for organic bananas are the European Community and the United States. Over 100 countries produce certified organic commodities. The main producer of organic bananas is the Dominican Republic, followed by Mexico, Colombia, Honduras, Costa Rica and the Philippines. The meeting also considered the Russian banana market, which collapsed at the end of 1998.

Go to Press release
Go to IGG meeting documents

11 May 1999

Desert locust breeding should be on a small and limited scale this summer, according to the latest Desert Locust Bulletin. Poor rainfall in recent months and the absence of spring breeding have resulted in very low current locust population levels, posing little threat this summer. "No significant developments are expected", said the report.

Desert Locust Bulletin 247 reports on the general locust situation during April 1999 and provides a forecast until mid-June 1999.

Go to the Latest Desert Locust Situation and Forecast

11 May 1999

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