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GIEWS Special Alert 330 China  Substantially below-normal rainfall since October 2010 in the North China Plain, the country’s main winter wheat producing area, puts at risk the winter wheat crop to be harvested later in the month of June. Low precipitation resulting in diminished snow cover has reduced the protection of dormant wheat plants against frost kill temperatures (usually below -18°C) during winter months from December to February. Low precipitation and thin snow...

FAO has raised its estimates for global rice production by 3 million tonnes, saying that global paddy production is expected to outpace demand. This will facilitate the building-up of stocks to their highest level since 2002. The agency cautioned, however, that some uncertainty remains, especially with respect to the crops that will be harvested in the next few months.The January 2011 FAO Rice Market Monitor expects the 2010 world paddy...

Government officials, scientists and representatives of non-governmental organizations from Thailand and Myanmar met late last month to discuss the joint management of the Mergui Archipelago, also known as the Myeik Archipelago in Myanmar. The Mergui Archipelago is a unique area about one hundred times the size of Phuket that transcends the western borders of Myanmar and Thailand, from the Similan Islands in Thailand north to beyond the coastal town of Mergui...

FAO is calling for veterinary and border control authorities in Asia to be on alert for animals showing signs of infection by Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), following an unprecedented outbreak of the livestock-affecting sickness in South Korea.Since late November 2010, South Korean authorities have imposed quarantines, initiated a vaccination campaign that is targeting nine million pigs and three million heads of cattle, and culled 2.2 million livestock. The overall cost of...

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) has endorsed an FAO project to prevent substantial crop damage by an invasive pest, the cassava pink mealybug, in the Greater Mekong Subregion.The regional technical assistance project will develop pest-spread prevention strategies and biocontrol options to manage the insect. The project is expected to be completed by December 2012.The mealybug could represent a major threat to food and nutrition security in the Lao...

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) will dedicate a series of three soccer matches in the fight against hunger and poverty at an impressive show of football solidarity during the Asian Cup to be played in Doha, Qatar, promoted by FAO and AFC.The first match to be dedicated to the fight against hunger is the opening match of the Asian Cup to be played on 7 January between Qatar and Uzbekhistan....

Supported by conclusions from a new data scoping report, Pacific Island Countries plan to expand data collection on agriculture production, domestic food marketing and agriculture trade to provide decision-makers with actionable information that can be used to strengthen food security across the Pacific islands.Food security in the Pacific has been threatened for decades. Declining investment, climate change and deterioration of land and water for agriculture and fisheries have eroded the...

In this week’s episode, research intern Matt Styslinger, Nourishing the Planet TV, explains how farmers in Cambodia, with training from organizations supported by FAO and its Regional Vegetable Integrated Pest Management Programme, are combining various strategies and practices to grow healthy crops without the aid of expensive and hazardous chemical inputs. This alternative approach is called Integrated Pest Management (IPM).More information at:http://blogs.worldwatch.org/nourishingtheplanet/nourishing-the-planet-tv-handling-pests-with-care-instead-of-pesticide/http://www.vegetableipmasia.org/

In its latest outlook released today, FAO gives a less optimistic forecast of global rice production than it did last June, as, since then, crops in many large producing countries have been affected by a series of problems. This has led the organization to lower its forecasts for production, especially for India, Pakistan, China and the Republic of Korea.In spite of the downward revisions, FAO’s forecast of world paddy production...

Cereal shortages and under-nourishment will continue.Rome - About five million people living in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) will continue to face food shortages despite a relatively good harvest and a slight increase in food supply, a joint report by FAO and WFP said today.A joint FAO/WFP Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission that visited DPRK in September found that the country faces a cereal import requirement for...