17 Oct
A World Food Day 2020 ceremony was held via web conferencing yesterday morning and attended by Union Minister for International Cooperation U Kyaw Tin, Union Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation Dr Aung Thu, Union Minister for Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation U Ohn Winn, Union Minister for Health and Sports Dr Myint Htwe, Deputy Ministers, FAO Representative Ms Xiaojie Fan, Representatives of UN, regions and states governments officials and members of Agriculture, Livestock and Rural Development.
During the meeting, Union Minister Dr Aung Thu said that being a FAO member country, it successfully carried out for the development of farming sector in the past decades but there are still adverse conditions in many sectors like starvation, obesity, environmental degradation, loss of biodiversity and food security, weaknesses of labour in food supply chain including food system during COVID-19.
According to the data of FAO, about 2 billion of world population do not have access to safe and nutritious food and 135 million people of 55 countries are suffering from hunger and so the digits can be double during COVID-19 pandemic and the safe, nutritious and sufficient food are urgently needed during this situation. On the other hand, the world population is expected to reach 10 billion in 2050 and so if the food system cannot be changed, the malnutrition will be the major problem in 2050.
The Union Minister continued saying that the world countries have been facing global warming and climate changes for many decades and also striving for safe and nutritious food and this year, all are facing COVID-19 pandemic which threatens all of humanity.
He also talked about the goal to be free from hunger and malnutrition during this crisis and to establish solid food system by cooperation with all people worldwide. This year’s theme is “Grow, Nourish, Sustain. Together. Our actions are our future”.
The Union Minister said the ministry is drafting policies for farming sector, strategy for agriculture including long-and-short term plan to be able to produce safe and nutritious food for the public and issues GAP Guidelines for the development of Good Agricultural Practice and organic system in accordance with ASEAN GAP and also adopts Good Animal Husbandry Practice (GAHP) and Good Aquaculture Practice (GAqP) in livestock breeding sector.
The ministry also conducted educating programmes regarding COVID-19 pandemic for the breeders and farmers and also provided with COVID-19 Economic Relief Plan (CERP) by implementing Village Revolving Fund Project, Cash For Work Project, granting loans for SMEs with the use of K92.61billion budget, said the Union Minister, adding that it will also serves three main duties like food security, food safety and rural development in line with the directives of the Union Government and also cooperates with other international organizations including FAO.
FAO Representative Ms Xiaojie Fan later read the message of the Director-General of FAO and officially introduced Agriculture Action Plan for Disaster Risk Reduction (AAPDRR) book while Emergency and Rehabilitation Coordinator Mr Reda Lebtahi briefed further action plans. _
MNA
(Translated by Khine Thazin Han)
