Marj
D.A., FAO, Foreign Partners Ink 3 Agri-Friendly Accords
by Marjorie M. Arriola - Tuesday, 6 April 2010, 09:33 AM
 
By DA Press Office
www.da.gov.ph
April 5, 2010

D.A., FAO, Foreign Partners Ink 3 Agri-Friendly Accords

The Department of Agriculture (DA) and the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), in partnership with other foreign donor-countries, have signed yesterday three agreements benefiting the farmers particularly on increasing palay production, preventing swine diseases and providing immediate aid to flood-hit farmers.

DA Secretary Bernie Fondevilla said the three projects are in step with the Department’s goal of mitigating the negative effects of climate change and increasing trade liberalization on the agriculture sector, especially for its small stakeholders.

He added that these supports came at an opportune time for it will necessarily enhance whatever budget is allocated by the DA for their intervention programs.

The first agreement, which was signed by Fondevilla, FAO representative Ambassador Kazuyuki Tsurumi and witnessed by Ambassador Christian Meerschman of Belgium provides immediate assistance to farming communities in the Ilocos Region and the Cordillera Administrative Region hit by massive floods spawned by Typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng last year.

It aims to strengthen the skills and knowledge of the beneficiaries on household-level agricultural and fishery practices. The project will be funded with a $1.5 million grant from the government of Belgium through the FAO.

Fondevilla said the project also aims to support agriculture emergency efforts and rehabilitation coordination programs being implemented by the DA for these flood-hit communities.

Another accord signed by DA and FAO and witnessed by European Union representatives, involves increasing rice yields by promoting the use of small-scale irrigation and integrated crop management systems in rainfed areas.

Fondevilla, on behalf of the DA and Tsurumi signed the agreement and witnessed by Ms. Charlotte Minasyan-Pekovits, Attache` for Operations Section of the European Union delegation to the Philippines . This will be implemented through an EU grant of 4.2 million Euros covers the provinces of Pangasinan,

Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga and Tarlac.

This initiative will be jointly implemented by the municipal governments of the beneficiary-provinces, the DA regional field units in the Ilocos Region and Central Luzon , the Bureau of Soils and Water Management, Philippine Rice Research Institute and the Agricultural Training Institute.

A third agreement, which covers FAO aid on the diagnosis and management of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PPRS) and other swine diseases, was forged by Tsurumi and Director Davinio Catbagan of the DA’s Bureau of Animal Industry.

This project is regional in scope, and also covers the countries of Thailand , Cambodia , Myanmar , Lao PDR and Viet Nam .

The accord aims to implement a project that will improve the capacity of the DA and livestock raisers in diagnosing swine diseases through field and laboratory surveillance; develop a network of laboratories on swine diseases; come up with a clear picture of the swine health status in the country and craft a manual on herd health management and pig production practices.

Funded by a $445,000 grant from FAO, project will run for 18 months .


Source:http://www.da.gov.ph/newindex2.php?pass=News_events/2010/apr/apr04_2010a.html
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