Written by DAP NEWS -- Thursday, 03 September 2009
The EU and the FAO on Wednesday provided €10.97 million (US$15.7 million) to the Cambodian Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) for the Improving the Food Security of Farm Families Affected by Volatile Food Prices project, a MAFF source said.
The EU and the FAO on Wednesday provided €10.97 million (US$15.7 million) to the Cambodian Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) for the Improving the Food Security of Farm Families Affected by Volatile Food Prices project, a MAFF source said.
EU/FAO cosigned an agreement with MAFF over the project, which should help ensure food security for poor families in rural areas, the MAFF official said on September 2.
Rafael Dochao Moreno, EU delegation to Cambodia representative, said that “We considered providing these budgets to reduce Cambodian poverty, especially for the poor families in remote areas facing food insecurity, and we cooperate with the Cambodian government to eliminate these problems.”
MAFF Minister Chan Sarun said that “The project will start from May, 2009 to June 2011, under supported by EU/FAO with a budget of over US$ 15 million.”
“We are very optimistic over this project; we will do these tasks with EU and FAO to destroy any affected by volatile food prices as well as safe food security to all Cambodian who are producers of rice. We will assist some food insecure 50,000 smallholders and educate, improve food crops, rice production, and offer short courses of vocational training.”
MAFF hope that this project will help improve food security in 620 villages in 9 target provinces. “The MAFF will have the key role to resolve problems to get positive points, especially for all Cambodian facing natural disasters,” Chan Sarun added.
Ajay Markanday, Cambodia FAO representative, said that “I am sure that I also speak for my distinguished colleagues in the EC delegation in saying that it gives me great pride that our collective efforts have resulted in us being here today to sign and launch a project in Cambodia as a priority country under the EU Global Food Facility.”
“The EU/FAO project will speci- fically assist Cambodia in addressing the overarching goal of the Food Security Program under the Royal Government’s Agriculture Strategy, namely to improve agricultural systems and empower the poor and food-insecure to have substantially improved physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food at all times,” he said.
“In meeting this goal, the project will be challenges related to increasing production throughout improved technologies and inputs and sustainable agriculture practices including mixed integrated nutrient management, strengthen and empower communities for enhanced participation in planning.”
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