FAO: AGRICULTURE OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES NEEDS $44 BILLION ANNUALLY

ARKA
May 13, 2010
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, May 13. /ARKA/. Agriculture of developing countries needs
$44 billion annually for funding of modern methods of production,
agricultural infrastructures and technologies for assisting farmers and
small farms, said Jacques Diouf, General Director of FAO in Yerevan.

"Due to sufficient investments about 10 million hectares of arable land
could be cultivated for crops and oil-bearing plants in Kazakhstan,
Russia and Ukraine", said Diouf on Thursday during the opening of
27th regional conference of FAO.

Sufficient financial resources are needed for the improvement of
infrastructure and modernization of agricultural production in poor
countries.

Today the share of official assistance for the development of
agriculture, including forestry and fishery was reduced by 19% in
1980 up to 5%.

He mentioned about the role of EURO in the region of Europe and Central
Asia as a partner of FAO by technical and financial assistance which
is provided to developing countries for the development of agriculture
and rural areas.

"In 2009 European Union allocated out-of-budget means of FAO in the
amount of $365 million and is intended to activate cooperation with
EU and its structures", he said.

In two-day conference taking part in Yerevan, 160 representatives
from 45 countries of Europe and Central Asia and international
organizations participate.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress