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Tens of thousands of farmers are bringing in their first rice harvest just six months after one of the worst typhoons to ever hit the Philippines left their fields in tatters and their livelihoods at risk, FAO announced today. After Typhoon Haiyan hit the central Philippines on 8 November, 2013, the situation was dire. More than 6,000 people lost their lives, while some 600,000 hectares of farmland were destroyed, leaving millions...

Six traditional farming systems in China, Iran and South Korea known for their unique characteristics and approaches to sustainability have been designated Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) by FAO. They include Iran’s Qanat Irrigation system, an ancient network of farms that have survived for nearly three millennia; a 22-thousand-kilometer system of black stone walls built from volcanic rock in Jeju, South Korea; and the traditional Gudeuljang Irrigated rice terraces...

China and Mongolia are moving forward to implement activities following an agreement reached last month on South-South cooperation, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization announced today. The two countries and the FAO signed the Memorandum of Understanding in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia on 14 March. The South-South Cooperation (SSC) Tripartite Agreement between Mongolia, the People’s Republic of China and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) was signed during the...

Despite climatic shifts and natural disasters plaguing some rice producing countries, the 2013 season has produced more rice than expected, adding to the ninth straight year of rice surplus or ‘carry over,’ the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported today.   As farmers in many countries, particularly in Asia, begin the last harvests of the 2013 season, several countries have raised their 2013 production estimates above those reported in...

Small scale coconut farmers in the Philippines will soon receive assistance to restore their livelihoods severely affected by last year’s Typhoon Haiyan, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization said today. It is estimated that in Region VIII alone, some 33 million coconut trees were either damaged or destroyed, affecting  the livelihoods of more than one million coconut farmers. Given that coconut trees take six to eight years to reach productivity, small-scale coconut...

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) urges people to stay alert for influenza A(H7N9), especially in light of the upcoming Qingming festival on 5 April 2014, which is celebrated in China and some of its neighbouring countries and will last approximately three days. The festival, which is a yearly family event for honouring ancestors, is predicted to correspond to an increase in the purchase, slaughter and...

The FAO Food Price Index rose sharply in March, up 4.8 points, or 2.3 percent, to an average of 212.8, the highest level since May 2013. "The Index was influenced, as expected, by unfavourable weather conditions in the US and Brazil and geopolitical tensions in the Black Sea region," said Abdolreza Abbassian, FAO Senior Economist. These and other influences are reviewed in greater detail in the AMIS Market Monitor report, the monthly...

Mr Hiroyuki Konuma, Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative visited the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) from 22 to 25 March 2014. By all accounts the visit was highly successful. The Mission proved to be encouraging and positive, both for the visibility of the in-country response programme as well as for FAO DPRK team spirit. The FAO team in DPRK gained a greater understanding of the importance of FAO’s guidance...

Irish Minister for Trade and Development Joe Costello visited an FAO rice seed project funded by the Irish Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and witnessed the positive impact of Ireland’s financial support on the livelihoods of typhoon-affected farmers in Barangay Olotan, municipality of Jaro, Leyte. Typhoon Haiyan (locally known as Yolanda) damaged 600 000 hectares of agricultural land and destroyed 1.1 million tonnes of crops as it swept across...

While it’s well recognized that forests are our future, the time needed to restore and manage them more sustainably is running short, an FAO convened meeting in Bangkok heard today. The 21st of March is International Day of Forests, and the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific has marked the day by convening a forestry debate: “Forestry in a changing world!” The debate was co-organized by FAO, RECOFTC –...