Director General of FAO José Graziano da Silva with Prime Minister K P Oli. Also seen in the picture is Somsak Pipoppinyo, FAO Representative in Nepal.

The Director General of FAO José Graziano da Silva paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister K P Oli at his residence on 13 March 2016.

The meeting was joined by the Vice Chair of National Planning Commission Yuva Raj Khatiwada and officials of the National Reconstruction Authority.

The Director General Graziano advised to the Prime Minister the need to improve the national statistics including baseline data in order to have a better planning.

Pointing out at the frequently observed climate change impacts, the Director General said that the pattern of weather including rainfall is now beyond prediction and the FAO is ready to support Nepal to overcome the negative impacts of the climate change.

Recalling the Prime Minister about the FAO’s presence in Nepal for a long time, the Director General said that the FAO will continue not only for the recovery phase but also for building resilience capacity of the farming community in Nepal tuning with the Sustainable Development Goals.

He expressed happiness over the launching of the National Action Plan under Zero Hunger Challenge Initiative in Nepal.

The Director General, shared his experience on successful implementation of the food security initiatives in Brazil focusing on the development approach in the local level that started in 2003.