Tuesday, October 12, 2010
THISDAY, Vol. 15, No. 5651, Page 39
It BusinessW0RlD
agnc Foods Security: FG Seeks·!hailand's Tecnnical Support he Ministry of Commerce and Industry has sought for technical assistance from Thailand on food security in the country. Minister for Commerce and Industry. Senator Jubril Martins Kuye made the call during the visit of Thai Deputy Prime Minister, His Excellency. Mr. Trairong Suwankiri when he led a trade delegation to Abuja .. Receiving the delegation. the Minister Slated that Thailand can provide technical assistance to Nigeria to be self sufficient in rice and fish production and also in the area of capacity building. He stressed the need for Nigeria and Thailand to initiate the signing of legal documents such as the Bilateral Trade
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Stories by Cr~soe Osagie Agreement (BTA) and Investment Promotion and Prorection Agreement (IPPA) . to fonnalise economic and trade relations between both countries. Kuye nored that there was a strong economic and investment relationship between both counnies. adding that Nigeria was desirous of making the relationship wax stronger. He said that in the short term Thailand can suI>port Nigeria in terms of food security. In his words, "since you have proposed a win-win situation, my Ministry will sup; port 'tlle~' 'idea to' widen Qur cooperation. we have a lot to ." gain in the-area of ,technology ' while Thailand can gain lTom us in the area of oil", ,
On the request to procure I million barrel of oil monthly. the Minister assured them that their message would be conveyed to the Ministry of petroleum Resources ' for urgent anention. Th~ Deputy Prime Minister. Mr. Trairong Suwankiri recalled that ' Nigeria ·ana . Thailand had been cooperating since 1962. adding that
Thailand was willing to provide technical exchange on fish. rice farming and production of tapioca in Nigeria. He requested . for the Ministry's ' intervention on their proposal to procure I miltion of oil monthly from Nigeria. He added that their intention was for - -.Thailand and Nigeria to be hub of trade in Asia and Africa
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respedively. On the entourage of the Deputy Prime Minisrer were ambassador of Thailand to Mr. Manop Nigeria. Mekprayooihong. Executive Vice President. International 'Trading Business unit. Mr. Sarakoru K ulathan. Vice President. Crude oil Tt'adiilg . Department. Mr. Wittawat Svasti-Xuto and Mr.
Pragromsak Choonhava. International market analysis department of PTT Public Company Limiied. Others were Deputy Director-General. Department of Trade: Mr. Boonyarit Kalayanamit, Executive Director of Bureau of rice Trade. Mrs. Rraneen Siriphand. and other government officials.
Ho-w to Corn.bat ·H unger - IITA DG come out of the poverty trap. With more than 80 per cent of agriculntraI produce transported by roads. Banjo said the development of the rural road network wQuld ease transportation and offer farmers greater access to markets. " It will also improve agriculture sector's contribution to rural growth and poverty reduction in sub Saharan Africa " he added Despite the fav~rable agroecological climate. SSA remains a net importer of food with some of its member states donor dependent. The region is also faced with infrastrucntraI cotrSlraints that are burting har-
ntraI output. Besides poor energy and infrastructure. the DirectorGeneral noted that harvests in Africa were also lost to biological and conunercial threats. The biological threats. according to him. include pests and diseases while commercial threats are made up of taXation. border barriers. and corruption of government officials. He said there was great need IO and ro percent in for African governments to - .' .'.. '--"d He spoke during a three understand and make available wenty-two counnies are countries in protracted ~. Earlier . this m<intlj~ FA _ day international workshop the best and easiest way to faci ng enormous chalrougb!y 20 percent of. the '. reveaJe9tliat925~onpeopl, . bosted bythellTAon.'-gettiog make the means of transport. world s wtdemourrshed people. . m the world live m chromc - farm harvest to market." lenges like repeated food especially rural roads a reality crises and an extremely . or more than a third of the total hunger. doWn 98 milli9n from The workshop. which is a for farmers. He saiiJ that t1JtOI high prevalence of hunger due . if large countries like China and (020 billion in 2009. The collaboration of the Africa roads could do the magic of nOl 10 a combination of nantraI dis- . India are excluded from the caIdecline was primarily atrtibut'College at the University of vest. only reducing the cost of agriasters. conflict. and weak in¢culation. able to better economic Leeds. the Sub - Saharan Hartmann called for conculntraI produce but also bringrutiens. These countries are in A large share of the aid which prospects in 2010 and the fall in Africa Transport Policy certed efforts and dedication to ing development and employwhat is termed a protracted criflows into these countries is in food prices since mid-200S. Programme (SSATP) managed good rural transportation so that ment to Ule people of the contisis. Food and Agriculture the form of emergency human"Faced with so maay obstaby- the:,Worid Bank and ITD\.. Africa would cease being a nent. Organisation (FAO) has said in itarian food assistance that not c1es. it is liwe wonder that proW1'S aimed at promoting an receiver of food aid as "there is Participants at the workshop its "Stare of Food Insecurity in only helps to save lives. but also tracred crises can become a selfinteractive dialogue between a no dignity in asking for food were drawn from the private the World 2010" hunger report. provides an investment in a Jl"IPOtuating vicious cycle." said .,.... raog~. of stakeholders on ,food aid". sector. members of the Africa jointly published with the World country's future, preserving and the preface to the SOFI rellQI1. . . secUrity. agriculture and ruraj Aocording to him. with the Union, seven national governFood Programme (WFP). strengthening the human assets signed jointly by FAO DireCtor -tt:Bnsportatlon right policies and infrastructure ments. development parmers. in place. Africa is capable of , Chronic hun.er and food and livelihoods Ulat are the General Jacques Diouf and ,",. Semor Transport Specialists non-governtnental organisaattainirig self sufficiency in insecurity are the-most common foundation of future stability World Food Progrant!I\e afSSAJP. Georg~ Banjo. ·S81d . tions, community based orgacharocteristics of a protracted and development. Executive Director Josette,'. investments ... in rural roads~ food production and could nizations. as well as academic niple its present annuo,l agriculcrisis. On average. the proporWhen used with other tools Sheeran, .•'. wol)lc! bell' deye\oping n,"!'ions and research institutions. rion of people who are undersuch as cash or vouchers, and ....._ _ _ _ _.:;..._.....;;..,._ _ _ _ _ _...:......,...._-::-_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _..., nourished in countries facing suppon for local purchase of U10se complex problems is agricultura1 produce, this maxalmost three rime:.. as hie:h as in imises' the chance that humaniother developing countries. tarian food assistance will serve as a s~ong basis for- achieving More than 166 million undernourished people live in food security in the longer Dire ctor-General. International Institute of
combat hunger. Hartmann made the call as a Tropical Agriculture result of high prevalence of (!ITA). Ibadan. Dr. Perer post harvest losses m Africa Haronann, h'!!' said lh¥ more .,.. that have been fueled over the inv'Ostmen~ in rural lranSJ'.Ort .~; years by the limitations of ' infrasl:r\l~ture fl_eI'\'0rks ,a.Il' qeplorahleruralroail·oetworks. needed mA!!i<;a to rud q;ansport .' ,', infrastructure and eneIg)'. of agIj~P]niiaI .commodities .} ... These limitations. acconding reduce~P9St har\;est losses ~d _· to him, bave given rise -to ", ~ .., annual post harvest losses of
Food Shortage: 22 Countries in P~ofra_cted Cris!~ '
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