Property rights threatened, NGOs claim [-FAO's shenanigans in Cambodia in collusion with Hun Xen's regime?]

Tuesday, 24 July 2012
David Boyle and May Titthara
The Phnom Penh Post

A draft agricultural land law threatens to eliminate property rights and effectively remove all limitations on the size of economic land concessions, a coalition of civil society groups said in a statement released.

The draft of The Law on the Management and Use of Agricultural Land, which was formulated with the help of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, also contains criminal sanctions that impose jail terms of up to one year.

The FAO has said that controversial agricultural land leases that had no apparent limitations in size had been removed from a new draft formulated in April, but yesterday declined to provide an updated copy of the law, which the government has also so far declined to circulate.

But the continued existence of Agricultural Development Areas in the draft law would allow the government to force farmers to switch the crops they are growing if an undefined majority of landholders in the area agree to the plan, said Licahdo director Naly Pilorge.

“This is another law that could potentially allow the government to arbitrarily award land without consulting the affected people,” she said, adding that the ADAs were effectively a form of forced collectivisation.

Cambodia, FAO meet to strengthen food safety

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's Ministry of Commerce and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) held one-day meeting Tuesday to discuss on how to strengthen Cambodia's food safety control systems and reduce the negative impact of food-borne diseases to consumers, producers, vendors and government authorities.

The meeting is aimed at improving the capacity of concerned national agencies to develop, implement and monitor national food control strategies that reflect the multi-disciplinary nature of food control, according to FAO.

At the opening of the forum, Chan Nora, secretary of state of Ministry of Commerce said improving food safety and its management is among the strategies adopted by the Royal Government of Cambodia to diversify its products and promote long term economic sustainability.

He said reducing the prevalence of food-borne diseases will improve consumer health and increase trade in food and agricultural products, and adding that adopting a policy of facilitating trade through risk management will allow the integration of Cambodia's economy into the region and the world.

The meeting participated by several dozens of officials and representatives from the Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Ministry of Health and Institute Pasteur du Cambodge who are involved in food safety participated.

"Food-borne diseases remain a leading cause of illness. Food safety problems such as intentional chemical adulteration, excessive and inappropriate use of pesticide in farming have a negative impact on public health, and subsequently on economic development," said Chan Nora.

FAO has been assisting the government in identifying how concerned agencies, scientists and staff can work together to analyze the problems and evaluate options for addressing them.

Dr. Lotfi Allal, acting FAO Representative, said FAO gives high priority to food safety and recommends the use of the risk analysis system.

FAO suggests more measures to prevent avian flu spread in Cambodia

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Improved control and regulations of imported poultry and poultry products and better market hygiene will probably have the best prospects for future prevention and control of avian influenza in Cambodia, study commissioned by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) said Tuesday.

"Such interventions would also help to improve the quality and hygiene of poultry products in general," said Dr Olaf Thieme, FAO Animal Production Officer, citing findings of several German-funded studies coordinated by FAO and Cambodia since 2007.

"The demand for poultry products is growing and the more favorable production conditions in neighboring countries may lead to an increasing import of these products. This situation may also pose the greater risk for the reintroduction of avian influenza into the country," a FAO report based on the studies' findings said.

The report said, to prevent possible avian influenza outbreaks, government interventions should focus on strict import controls at the borders as large poultry producers in neighboring countries will find Cambodia's growing poultry market attractive.

The ongoing drafting of a veterinary law should be instrumental towards this goal, the report added.

The report also recommends that regulating the transport and marketing of poultry and its products should also be conducted particularly in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap which are the main centers for trade of poultry.

The transport system (collecting birds in the villages, bringing them to collection points and from there to urban centers)is likely to spread disease over long distances, the report said.

With funding from Germany, a series of studies were conducted by FAO's local partners during the past two years in order to investigate whether avian influenza and its control measures have negative impacts on local poultry breeds and on livelihoods of smallholder poultry producers.

One of these studies found that the low incidence of avian influenza in Cambodia and the official approach to its control did not result in a major threat to the livelihoods of small poultry producers and the local poultry genetic resources.

The project aims to promote policies and strategies to prevent and control avian influenza, which is sensitive to the needs of smallholder producers, especially poor rural families, and to poultry genetic resources.

Donors provide 7.75 mln USD to Cambodia's agriculture [-Hopefully the donation will reach the needy and not end up in the pocket of CPP officials]

PHNOM PENH, Feb 10 (VNA) – The European Union (EU) and the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) have announced a combined assistance of 7.75 million USD to back up the rural economy in Cambodia this year.

Cambodian Secretary of State for Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery Chan Tong Yves on Feb. 7 said his ministry has received a non-refundable aid of 2.25 million USD from FAO.

The fund was aimed at promoting the agricultural production for food security ensurance and increasing rice output for exports, he added.

Meanwhile, Rafael Dochao Moreno, EU representative in Cambodia, announced on Feb. 6 that the EU will provide 5.5 million USD to Cambodia to help develop economic activities at local levels in order to speed up the poverty reduction and hunger elimination programme.

The aid will be focused on community development, health and education projects.

The rate of poverty-stricken households in Cambodia remains high, at 31 percent and donors believe that boosting farm produce exports will be one of the solutions to bring the rate down.

In recent years, Cambodia’s farm produce exports have experienced stable growth. In 2008, it exported 3 million tonnes of rice, a rise of 0.8 million tonnes as compared to 2007.

FAO conducts bird flu research activity in Cambodia

PHNOM PENH, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Wednesday started a three-day workshop on avian influenza research activities in Cambodia, said a FAO press release.

The workshop took place in Sihanoukville with support from the Cambodian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries with the aim of bringing together researchers from various disciplines to share the results of their HPAI H5N1-related research in Cambodia, said the release.

It also aimed to facilitate dynamic exchange of views between researchers and decision makers on epidemiological, social and economic issues relevant to HPAI H5N1 in Cambodia, according to the release.

It still aimed to identify and prioritize major knowledge gaps that research needs to fill and how to best address them in the near future and contribute to the development of a second generation of science-based HPAI H5N1 risk management strategies that carefully consider their impacts on the livelihoods of the poor, the release added.

Compared to neighboring Thailand and Vietnam, Cambodia was only mildly affected by HPAI. Nevertheless, Cambodia's animal and public health authorities heavily engaged in HPAI H5N1 control and monitoring, and many of the implemented measures are still in place, said the release.

Alongside these control measures, a wide array of field and laboratory research was initiated in Cambodia, both by national and international agencies, it said.

As much of this research is reaching completion or has been completed and as the HPAI H5N1 control paradigm is shifting from emergency reaction to longer term disease management, it is timely to collate, review and synthesize research carried out in Cambodiaon various aspects of HPAI to inform policymaking, investment and further research, it added.

Cambodia, UN-FAO launch emergency project for farmers

PHNOM PENH, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) of Cambodia and UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) are launching an emergency project through its Technical Cooperation Program (TCP) in Cambodia to help impoverished farmers boost agricultural production, said a joint press release received here Saturday.

The project is part of the FAO Initiative on Soaring Food Prices (ISFP) started in December 2007 and aims to boost the local food supply to soften the blow of soaring food prices, it said.

The FAO is focusing on immediate activities during this rainy season from July 2008 to Sept. 2008 and within the dry season from Nov. 2008 until Jan. 2009, so that by the next harvests there will be more food available locally at lower prices, it said.

In addition, the project is providing fertilizers, which are petroleum-based and thus out of reach of poor farmers as oil prices break new records every day, it said.

As the latest step of the project, a rice seed distribution ceremony to vulnerable farmers was held on Aug. 28 at Bati district, Takeo province, with the attendance of Chan Sarun, Cambodian Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, as well as Omar Salah Ahmed, FAO Representative in Cambodia, said the press release.

For the medium and long term plan, the FAO aims at a more comprehensive assistance program towards agricultural development by focusing on increased productivities, irrigation and improving the storage, it added.

Cambodia, FAO start series of market forums on bird flu

PHNOM PENH, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Cambodian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), with the help from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), will hold a series of market forums on avian influenza to prevent and control the disease, said a press release on Tuesday.

The first forum will be held in Kampong Thom province on Aug. 13 and another 13 forums will be organized in major live bird markets this year, with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Germany.

In the joint release issued by MAFF and FAO, Kao Phal, director of MAFF's Department of Animal Health and Production (DAHP) said "The forums will help market managers, poultry vendors, butchers and middlemen understand the importance of practicing bio-security measures in order to protect their source of livelihood from the threat of avian influenza."

Prime Minister Hun Sen has asked MAFF to focus on bird flu control and prevention in poultry in order to reduce the risk of human infection, he added.

Meanwhile, Lotfi Allal, FAO chief technical adviser, said that "most live bird markets have poor hygienic practices posing the greatest potential health threat to traders and consumers alike."

A market study commissioned by FAO found that only 40 percent of market sellers interviewed packed and took their poultry waste to the disposal bins.

"Human activity through trade and markets is one way of spreading avian influenza so it is important that poultry traders understand the risk posed by live bird markets and by common practice such as mixing ducks and chickens," said the advisor.

"Ducks are natural reservoir for avian influenza. They can be infectious without looking sick and can spread the disease to other poultry and humans," the advisor added.

At the forum, speakers from MAFF, the Ministry of Health and FAO will explain how bird flu can be transmitted through the live bird markets and what can poultry traders do to prevent and control its spread, said the press release.

To prevent bird flu transmission in the market, poultry traders will be encouraged to adopt measures including "buy and sell only healthy poultry, always keep ducks and chickens separate on the farm, on transport and in the market, keep transport cages, egg boxes and market stalls clean," said the press release.

The fourth of all Cambodia's seven human death cases so far over bird flu was a chicken seller who reportedly collected some dead chickens from the area surrounding her school and was sellingthem. The 20-year-old woman from Banteay Meas District in Kampot province died on April 19, 2005.

Cambodia, FAO vigilant over re-occurrence of bird flu

PHNOM PENH, June 17 (Xinhua) -- It is important for Cambodia to remain vigilant for possible re-occurrence of avian influenza, as Cambodia shares borders with Vietnam and Thailand where outbreaks of the pathogenic virus continued to occur, said a statement here Tuesday.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Cambodian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in their joint statement said that they have been organizing public awareness and education activities to warn Cambodians of the danger avian influenza poses to their poultry and to their health.

Village meetings in Svay Rieng, Takeo, Kampong Cham and Kampot provinces, all bordering Vietnam, have been conducted since April, drawing 4,000 people from 25 villages, it added.

"The ministry and FAO have been working together to provide technical and communication skills training to veterinary officials, village animal health workers and village chiefs, so they will be able to educate the public on actions they can take to prevent avian flu infection," said Kao Phal, Director of the Department of Animal Health and Production at the ministry.

Although Cambodia hasn't had any outbreak since April 2007, it does not mean that the risk of AI is not present anymore, said the statement.

"FAO, with support from the United States Agency for International Development and Germany, will continue to strengthen the government's laboratory capacity to detect bird flu, improve bio-security in the backyard farms and in the markets, as well as in disease surveillance and early response to minimize the risks of avian flu," said Etienne Careme, FAO Emergency Program Coordinator.

In addition, both sides will organize a community forum on avian influenza in Pouk District, Siem Reap province, on June 19.

While not located along the border with Vietnam and Thailand, Siem Reap is among the provinces with the largest poultry population and represents an important trade center for poultry, majority of which is sourced from its villages, said the statement.

Siem Reap experienced an AI outbreak in poultry in two villages in February 2004.

In Cambodia, bird flu has killed seven people, including a 12-year-old girl in Kampong Cham province, the latest case of its kind.

Rising Price of Rice Triggers Concern in Asia

Gaddi Vasquez, US ambassador for United Nations food and agriculture agencies

By Luis Ramirez, VOA News
Bangkok
28 March 2008

The cost of rice has risen up to 50 percent on world markets, raising concerns among aid agencies in Asia. The agencies say they are facing shortfalls in efforts to feed the hungry in the region. VOA's Luis Ramirez reports from our Southeast Asia bureau in Bangkok.

The price of rice on world markets has doubled since 2004 and in the past two months alone has gone up 50 percent. Rising fuel and fertilizer costs, and natural disasters are fueling the price hikes.

The rising costs have triggered warnings of unrest in the Philippines. Cambodia and Vietnam have cut their rice exports, actions that analysts say threaten to push prices up even further in the coming months.

The World Food Program (WFP) recently launched what it said is an extraordinary emergency appeal for donor nations to increase their donations. The agency says it faces a $500 million shortfall, $160 million of that in Asia, a situation that officials say may soon force them to start cutting rations.

Gaddi Vasquez, the U.S. ambassador to U.N. food and agriculture agencies is traveling in Asia. He met on Friday with officials of the World Food Program and others in Bangkok to talk about solving what he said could turn into a significant humanitarian crisis. Mr. Vasquez told reporters the United States, the largest single donor to the World Food Program, has not yet decided if it will increase donations in the wake of rising food prices.

"The United States is currently about 43 percent of the donor base of the World Food Program and the assessment of what, if any, contributions could be supplemented to that effort are under way in Washington, DC, and being looked by the agencies that provide the funding," he said.

U.S. and WFP officials say they are searching for ways to cut transportation and other non-food costs. They say one way is to develop means of purchasing and processing food in the countries that receive the aid, rather than have to transport it from far away places.

World Food Program officials say their ability to feed people has dropped significantly in the last few months. As an example, officials say that just last year, $15 million could buy 189,000 tons of food and feed 3.5 million people in Afghanistan. Now, they say the same $15 million allows them to purchase only 112,000 tons to feed 1.9 million people.

FAO receives $1.9 mln from USAID to fight bird flu in Cambodia

PHNOM PENH, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has received an additional 1.9 million U.S. dollars of grant from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to control and prevent the spread of the highly pathogenic avian influenza in Cambodia, said a press release here on Thursday.

FAO will use the grant to support ongoing activities of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries to control avian influenza at its source in domestic poultry and waterfowl in the next two years, said the FAO release.

"A major component of this project is the training of veterinary staff and village animal health workers (VAHWs) in the techniques of surveillance, and the recognition and systematic recording and reporting of suspected cases," said Dr. Guy Freeland, Team Leader of FAO Avian Influenza Control Programme in Cambodia.

FAO will start in November a routine surveillance of wild birds with the U.S.-based Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), focusing on sites and waterfowl species selected for their association with past outbreaks and the likelihood of mingling or sharing habitat with domestic fowl.

"The aim was to collect and test some 3,000 wild bird samples during this six month period," Freeland said.

Cambodia has had 22 outbreaks in poultry since 2004 and seven human deaths. The latest outbreak in poultry and in human was reported in Kampong Cham in April 2007.

Cambodia to educate remote communities about dangers of avian influenza

September 26, 2007

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Medicam will organize a community forum in Mondulkiri near the border with Vietnam on Thursday to educate remote communities about avian influenza and how they can protect their poultry and their families from contracting the deadly virus, said a press release on Tuesday.

"The event will be the first of a new series of community forums that Medicam, with support from FAO, will organize in areas of the country that have limited or zero access to TV and radio, to inform communities about the risks posed by avian influenza to their poultry and to their health," said Dr. Sin Somuny, Executive Director of Medicam, an umbrella organization of more than 100 health NGOs in Cambodia.

"The forum will veer away from the usual 'we tell you and you listen to us' speeches," said Guy Freeland, Team Leader of FAO's Avian Influenza Control Programme in Cambodia.

"We would like it to be an interactive exchange of information based on a consistent storyline depicted by a series of photographs that shows how avian influenza is transmitted from its source in poultry to other farms and villages," said Freeland.

The photo exhibit will be interspersed with posters promoting messages on how to stop the spread and protect both poultry and humans from the disease, said the release.

To reinforce the messages, TV and radio spots will be played continuously before the forum. Speakers and the audience are expected to engage in a two-way information exchange based on what is on the visual and verbal presentations, it added.

Cambodia has had 22 outbreaks in poultry since 2004 and seven human deaths, and the latest outbreak in poultry and in human was reported in Kampong Cham in April 2007.

Source: Xinhua

FAO helps train Cambodian veterinarians on bird flu surveillance

July 13, 2007

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is training veterinarians and the rapid response teams from 24 provinces on surveillance of bird flu and outbreak response, said a press release on Friday.

A series of three training courses are being held, in collaboration with the Department of Animal Health and Production of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), in Phnom Penh to enable participants to quickly identify any and all potential cases of avian influenza, and to mount a rapid, appropriate and effective response to suspected and confirmed outbreaks, said the FAO release.

"The training will also instruct the participants in the principles, purposes and practice of effective disease surveillance, both by active and passive methods," said Dr. Guy Freeland, Team Leader of FAO's Avian Influenza Program.

Additionally, the participants will receive practical training on correct and safe collection, storage and shipment of blood and environmental samples to the national laboratory in Phnom Penh to diagnose for the possible presence of avian influenza, he said.

During the training, Nou Muth, MAFF Under Secretary of State and National Coordinator for Avian Influenza, called on the public to co-operate in the surveillance effort by reporting unusual and high mortality in poultry immediately to the village animal health workers or village chiefs or they can call the hotline numbers 012 214 970 or 012 833 795.

"Early reporting will ensure rapid response from the authorities and will help prevent the spread of the disease to other birds and other places," he said.

A parallel course on outbreak response is being held concurrently for police and local government staff who form part of the provincial multi-sector committee on avian influenza, said the press release.

The committee supports the Provincial Animal Health Office to enforce all necessary controls in response to an outbreak, said Kao Phal, Director of the Ministry's Animal Health and Production Department.

Avian Influenza is a dangerous infectious disease that causes serious illness and death in poultry. Humans can get infected with, and die from it.

Cambodia is among the countries in Southeast Asia that experienced poultry and human deaths due to avian influenza. Cambodia reported 22 outbreaks in poultry since 2004 and seven human deaths, the latest case occurred in Kampong Cham in April 2007.

Source: Xinhua

Cambodia trains 4,700 vets for preventing bird flu

April 10, 2007

The Cambodian Agriculture Ministry and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) have been cooperating to train about 4,700 vets and villagers for reeducating people to prevent bird flu, FAO officials said on Monday.

They were chosen to give the messages about preventing bird flu to villagers in rural areas, said Yon Fernandez, coordinator of bird flu project from FAO to Cambodia.

Meanwhile, the FAO, in cooperation with the relevant Cambodian ministries, will hold marches to raise public awareness of bird flu in districts throughout eight provinces from April 9 to 12.

"We chose all these provinces to raise the awareness of people for the danger of bird flu," Yon told Xinhua by phone.

Bird flu initially broke out in Cambodia in January 2004 and affected its eight provinces, including Kompong Cham, Prey Veng, Kandal and Phnom Penh.

The disease has killed seven Cambodians, and the latest toll occurred on Thursday.

Source: Xinhua