EU boosts agriculture in developing countries

The EU has added EUR13.2 million to its funding of FAO's efforts to boost agricultural production in developing countries worst hit by high food prices.

This would bring EU "Food Facility" funds through FAO to EUR228 million.

José Maria Sumpsi, FAO's Assistant DG of the Technical Cooperation Department, stressed the urgent need to invest more in small farmers in poor countries.

In Bangladesh, EUR7.5 million will be used to improve the food security of over 80,000 farmers, livestock holders and fishermen. They will receive training as well as production inputs, such as agricultural machinery, seeds and fertiliser, irrigation equipment and support, small and large ruminants, poultry, animal feed, and fishing equipment.

Meanwhile, a total of EUR3 million will double the size of FAO's EU-funded efforts in Niger, hit hard by the drought that ravaged harvests in the Sahel region. First priority is to help increase their agricultural production.

In addition, EUR2.7 million will go to FAO's Global Rinderpest Eradication Programme as an extension of the EU's longstanding help to kill off one of the most devastating animal diseases, Rinderpest. FAO is confident that field operations can come to a close by October 2010 and that the disease can be officially declared eradicated in mid-2011.