Agriculture Minister Calls “FAO” to Support Strategic Crops Production

Rome, (ST)- The Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform Ahmed al -Qadri underlined the necessity of participation of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations “FAO” to provide assistance through the Damascus office, which is the only legal and legitimate office and not to deal with other parties that claim to provide assistance in the border areas.

During a speech in the “FAO” meetings of the countries of North Africa and the Near East in Roma, Mr. al -Qadri confirmed the need to include a recommendation to lift the economic sanctions unilaterally, which reflects negatively on food security, whereas the conference adopted this recommendation.

He called the FAO to take into account the priorities that support strategic crops and vegetable production and give the livestock sector more attention in terms of fodder, vaccines and veterinary medicines, supporting the veterinary laboratories, working to protect this wealth of cross-border diseases, increasing productivity aid and development to improve the livelihoods of farmers and encouraging them on stability.

He also pointed to the importance of FAO to provide assistance and expertise in the field of development of fisheries, which is an important source of animal protein and in the domain of conservation, genetic resources,  animal and plant genetic assets.

On the sidelines of the meetings, the Minister of Agriculture met FAO Director-General, Jose Graziano da Silva, Director of Emergency Management and Rehabilitation, Dominique Borzin and Assistant Director General, Laurent Thomas and discussed with them the requirements of development of the agricultural sector in the next phase.

Participants discussed the agenda of the third session of the conference including priorities  of agricultural and rural development in the region, the important role being played by the livestock to ensure the three regional initiatives on water scarcity and to improve food security nutrition and small plantations.

Sharif al Khatib