Thailand, 8 May 2008 -- Poor farming
and fishing
communities need urgent assistance. Bangkok - The UN Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) is mounting this week the first damage
and needs assessment mission into Myanmar's fishing sector, believed to
be hit worse by cyclone Nargis than during the 2004 tsunami.
The five most affected states are considered the country's food basket,
producing surpluses of fish, rice and pork for other parts of Myanmar,
and overall food security situation in Myanmar is threatened, FAO said
today.
Cyclone Nargis has affected the same areas in the Ayeyarwady division
that were hit by the 2004 tsunami. This time around, the impact is
believed to be far more severe.
Two senior emergency operations coordinators will join FAO's resident
team in Myanmar this week in response to an official government request
for assistance to fishers in the Ayeyarwady division.
FAO will assist the government in assessing damage to rural livelihoods
in the fishing, rice and livestock sectors and identifying the most
urgent needs.
Fisheries
Early satellite pictures show significant damage to fishing vessels in
harbours. The fate of the vessels at sea when the cyclone hit is
currently unknown.
The coastline of Myanmar is over 3 000 km long and the Ayeyarwady
division occupies the delta region of the Ayeyarwady river. The area
has numerous rivers and channels and much of the transport in and
around the area is by boat.
The area struck by the cyclone has some major fishing ports and landing
sites. It is clear that many vessels have been sunk in harbours and
damage to infrastructure such as landing facilities and fish storage
and preservation facilities is likely.
Myanmar does not have an early warning system for cyclones and bad
weather. Although fishermen are generally aware of weather conditions
and do not go out to sea if storms are expected, fishers on small
vessels may not have received warning in time.
As transport and communications are extremely difficult, FAO expects to
have a preliminary assessment within 10 days, and a fuller picture of
the situation within one month.
Short- and medium-term recovery plans will be prepared by FAO, and
assistance will be provided to the Government to implement these
emergency and rehabilitation plans.
Rice production
High resolution satellite maps will be analyzed to assess damage to
rice crops. It is believed that the second crop of the 2007 rice season
was largely harvested before the cyclone hit the region.
FAO expects, however, that rice already harvested for household
consumption was damaged by the storm surge, adding to the precarious
food security situation of poor coastal families.
"Time is running out to prepare for the main rice planting season,
which starts in early June with the onset of the monsoon rains", said
He Changchui, FAO's chief for Asia and the Pacific.
"It is crucially important to mobilize the right type and volume of
rice seeds and other production inputs such as fertilizers quickly, in
order to resume agricultural productivity in a timely manner."
Another FAO priority will be to analyze soil salinity and review damage
to irrigation and capacity for draining agricultural lands.
In Myanmar, people consume on average 20 kg of rice per month compared
with 16 kg in Viet Nam, 10 kg in Thailand and 7 kg in Asia.
Livestock
The five affected states are important areas for livestock production -
with roughly 50 percent of national poultry production and 40 percent
of pig production.
Animal traction is used for plowing fields and for transport. High
prices and unreliable availability of fuel for tractors and other
mechanized farm machinery increase the importance buffalos for farming.
Small-scale livestock holders may need assistance to treat injured or
sick animals and to feed surviving animals, FAO said.
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/LSGZ-7EFFNT?OpenDocument
