CHAIRMAN: We will continue with the item General Discussion. I give the floor to Mr. Chikwanda, Minister of Lands and Agriculture of the Republic of Zambia.
A. B. CHIKWANDA (Zambia): Let me join my distinguished colleagues who have spoken before me in warmly congratulating you, Mr. Chairman, for your well deserved election to the Chairmanship of this august Conference, which I have no doubt you will steer to a successful and fruitful conclusion.
Adequate and reasonably cheap food supply is a critical issue for mankind, especially in the developing Third World countries, the fragile economies of which have to sustain very rapidly increasing populations. Agriculture is an essential and important sector in any developing country and indeed even in the developed countries. In my country which has depended rather precariously on the proceeds of extractive industry of which copper mining is most prominent, we now do realise more than ever before that our economy cannot be strong and resilient without the development of the agricultural sector. The return on investment in agriculture is certainly much higher than from mining. With a relatively modest injection of capital you create more employment opportunities than from commensurate investment in mining and even manufacturing industries, especially where these have to rely heavily on expensive imported imputs. The foreign exchange component of agricultural investment is also much lower than that of many other forms of industrial investment. The copper mines in Zambia from which we get 92 per cent of our foreign exchange earnings use about $260 million annually of foreign exchange. If even half of that level of foreign exchange were injected into agriculture, the results would be fantastic. Unfortunately we cannot do that immediately, but are steadfastly stepping up investment in agriculture.
Some developmentalists have blamed the poor state of agriculture in developing countries on the attitudes which tend to frown on agriculture because of the allegedly low prestige attached to it. Whereas this may be so, our experience indicates that the inhibiting factor to many people taking up agriculture is the lack of incentive.
When people see that there is enough incentive and that they can get a satisfactory return on their labour or efforts, they can take up agriculture with minimal prompting from governments. For countries like Zambia which are landlocked and far from the suppliers, one of the major constraints to our rapid agricultural expansion is just the sheer cost of inputs. At a time when the price of our major export commodity, copper, has plummeted to unbearably low levels, the prices of tractors, fertilisers and other farm requisites which we obtain from the industrialised countries have shot up sky-high. We now have to sell at least five tonnes of copper to buy a modestly priced tractor. Thus, in a way, it does not really matter how hard our miners work; neither they nor their country benefit from that extra toil because the ugly realities of the lopsided ''international division of labour'' is such that benefits accrue to the workers in the developed countries. I am afraid, until there is a reordering of the international economic arrangements and relations, our peasants and workers will continue to settle strike claims of the European or American workers!
As many distinguished delegates may be aware, Zambia's geo-political situation has been and is presently a very unfortunate one. The closure of the southern routes has entailed very costly diversion of our imports and exports. The completion in record time of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway, which was made possible because of the generous assistance of the People's Republic of China, has been a relief, but only partially since there are still capacity constraints at the terminal port. We still have to face costly re-routing of imports from Beira to Dar-es-Salaam, either because the road between Zambia and Mozambique is not operational all the time or because the Malawi railway system from Nacala may be over-congested.
Despite the many difficulties we face because of the unfortunate geography and the internationally induced inflation, coupled with depressed prices for our exports, we are making a modest but significant contribution to the world's food supply. This year we are going to export nearly 100 000 metric tonnes of maize to neighbouring countries. We hope to export more next year, when we also expect to be self-sufficient in the production of oil seeds which will entail tremendous savings in foreign exchange because, apart from not importing edible oil, we shall also cut down drastically on the importation of the protein component of the stockfeed which has been costing the country about $20 million annually.
It will be recalled that at the last General Conference Resolution 4/75 was adopted urging all member nations to review and evaluate their national agricultural systems and their agricultural research for small and medium-scale farmers. Research is very central to the success of agriculture and because of the emphasis being placed on the agricultural sector, we have undertaken steps not only to intensify research but to restructure our research goals and priorities to meet the country's development aspirations. Re-organisation of research is a costly business and Zambia and many other developing countries do not have the requisite specialised and trained manpower, let alone the money to invest in the research effort. It is in this context, that Zambia is most grateful for the assistance that the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organzation has rendered. It is our hope that this assistance will continue and that there will be increased co-operation between international research centres and national research institutions.
The last FAO Conference recognised the need for research in spheres such as biological fertilizers. The costs of non-organic or chemical fertilizers are rising so fast that they could in the very near future become totally prohibitive for the small-scale farmer. Zambia therefore calls upon the FAO and international research organisations to put every effort into this aspect of the research so that the small-scale farmers who cannot afford the exhorbitant prices of chemical fertilizers can have recourse to cheaper alternatives.
Food storage is an area that requires serious attention since most developing countries can scarcely afford the serious food losses that are occasioned by inadequate and inefficient storage systems. Zambia has carried out some research work on suitable grain storage structures. The results have been encouraging and we think we are on the verge of an important breakthrough. Off-farm storage is one area of considerable concern to us and we have sought bilateral and multilateral assistance to enable us to construct better storage for both durables and perishables. Adequate and efficient storage is an important step in the implementation of the world food security measures. Zambia therefore welcomes the establishment of the FAO Fund For Food Losses Reduction.
Another area that we are giving attention to is food processing. As production on the farms increases, it is desirable that some of the current surpluses are processed for future use internally and externally. Food processing is vital, especially for the perishables because presently a lot of vegetables and fruits are wasted when the markets are saturated and the marketing organisations cannot buy any more produce because of storage constraints. Food processing will also help the nation's effort at raising the nutritional standards and obliterating malnutrition.
In my earlier remarks I have referred briefly to our efforts to step up investment in agriculture which we intend to make the mainstay of our economy, a lot of money is needed to bring the small-scale farmers to the commercial level and to raise productivities on all the farms. The small farmers are the key to our success because their production costs tend to be lower and in some cases they have recorded better yields than the big farmers who may be inclined to waste, if only through unnecessary lavishness. Agriculture will advance rapidly if the cost of money, one of the most essential inputs, is reasonable. Government, despite the present unfavourable financial situation, is trying hard to extend credit to the various farming rural communities. When the country's financial position improves, every effort will be made to make the cost of money to the small farmer as reasonable as possible.
Our efforts at more production, no matter how commendable, will be defeated unless we can find the markets for our farm products. It is our sincere hope that developed countries will pursue increasingly more liberal and enlightened trade policies which will allow for more agriculture exports of the developing countries. The present rigid and discriminatory trade barriers are inimical to the interests of the developing countries which have a very limited range of options.
Let me say a few words on fisheries development. Fish is one of the most important sources of protein for our people. Zambia has several natural fisheries which are of different ecological set-up such as lakes, swamps and rivers. These fisheries are capable of meeting all the nation's requirements, but, because of insufficient exploitation and low investment, fish production is far below the nation's needs. We would in this context very much appreciate FAO's assistance in fish farming, especially for construction and management technology in the initial stages.
At the last Regional Conference for Africa held in Freetown, Sierra Leone, members of the Region stressed the importance of investment in forest industries. I am pleased to note that the FAO has taken some positive action on this important subject by considering the promotion of small-scale mills for pulp and paper industries as well as further investment identification activities in the Region.
Zambia, like a number of African countries, has a variety of indigenous and exotic species which require extensive cultivation for mining and various wood and other industries. It is dispiriting to see the
importation of even the simplest of wood products that could have been produced within the Region. The FAO and other international agencies have a duty to assist us in exploiting fully our forest resources and the attainment of self-sufficiency in this area.
The FAO as a United Nations organization, has an important role in bringing about fundamental changes in the world. We all know that the problems of the Third World are two-fold. Firstly, it is to increase the production of the goods and services that people need, and secondly to increase the consumption of the goods and services which denote good and free life. In order to bring about increased output and increased consumption, international bodies should be aware of the need for fundamental changes in the economic and social structures of the developing nations. The FAO and other agencies will not be able to comprehend these fundamental changes unless they themselves come down to earth in their operations. In this connection, Zambia heartily welcomes the FAO move to decentralise its operations. The Director-General's Programme of Work and Budget for 1978-79 should indeed be an instrument for bringing about the desired change in the agricultural sector of the developing countries so that they are not only able to feed themselves but are able to strengthen their weak economies. The FAO's emphasis on field rather than headquarters' programmes, on a reduction in meetings and documentation, and the reinforcement of the Technical Cooperation Programme, is most welcome.
Further, Zambia wishes to support the suggestion made by the Director-General on the use of the Suspense Account. I am aware that this Account is made up of savings generated from the Dollar/Lira parity and that any such amount saved reverts to the member States in proportion to their contributions. We are all aware that contributions made by developing countries are minimal and consequently represent insignificant savings. May I therefore, through you, Mr. Chairman. appeal to developed countries to reconsider this issue seriously and allow the Director-General to use the Suspense Account to meet unbudgeted-for inflationary expenses and to strengthen certain programmes such as the one on prevention of post-harvest losses.
I wish to commend the FAO for responding favourably to the request made by the Regional Conference for Africa to draw up a regional food plan which is aimed at enabling members of the Organization of African Unity to be self-sufficient in food within a period of ten years. We in the Africa Region are anxious to see this plan implemented almost immediately because time is not on our side as we cannot sit by while our populations are confronted with poverty, disease and hunger.
Finally my Delegation wishes wholeheartedly to welcome the new member states that have been admitted into this important organization. It is our sincerest hope that these new members will participate fully in the running of the Organization with the same undaunted spirit that has won them their independence from the yoke of colonialism.
My Delegation is particularly pleased by the fact that three of the eight newly admitted states, namel; Angola, Mozambique and Namibia, have common borders with our country. We shall therefore pull our efforts together in the fight against the scourge of hunger, malnutrition and poverty amongst our peop:
R. BERGLAND (United States of America): Four years ago, I had the honour to attend the 17th Session of the Food and Agriculture Organization as a Congressional Adviser to the U. S. Delegation. Since that time, I have watched with increased interest the work of this Organization. In these four years, there have been encouraging developments in FAO and in the world food situation. Also, and especially in the past year, the United States has reviewed its own role in relation to the world food system, to the developing world, to the problem of hunger and malnutrition, and to FAO. It is a privilege for me to represent my country at this 19th Session and to discuss with you certain changes in our policies and in our aspirations for FAO.
First, I would like to commend FAO for its accomplishments since the last Biennial Session. Under Dr. Saouma's leadership, the Organization has made important changes, particularly in strengthening development activities, in decentralizing headquarters functions, and in emphasizing immediate production problems. The United States also applauds the Organization for its expanded membership, and we salute the new members who are joining this great forum at this time. The subject of food is universal, and national participation in the FAO should reflect this universality.
In this Session the member countries can consider the intermediate and longer-run goals of FAO without the immediate pressure of world food shortages and the crises that prevailed in our last two sessions.
In order to review the current and intended policies of the United States Government, both domestic
and international, I believe it is important to understand our view of the current and prospective situation.
First, world grain production has exceeded consumption in each of the last two crop years, although it is not expected to do so this year. In any event, there is a significant increase in world carryover and a decline in prices in international markets. Thus, the air of crisis which dominated the discussions of four years ago has disappeared.
Second, despite the increased production, the number of malnournished people remains intolerably large and little progress has been made toward the goal of eliminating mainourishment in the poorest developing countries.
Third, the longer-run problem of inadequate growth rates of food production in the developing countries still remains the major challenge of our time. We expect FAO to play a. major role in meeting that challenge, and I shall comment on this later.
Fourth, most of the world has had average or better weather over the past three crop years and we know that this situation cannot continue indefinitely. Thus, action must be taken to prepare for years in which the weather is less favourable.
We believe that these four facts set the context in which both our domestic food and agricultural policies and our role in international forums can be best understood. Let me now relate these to our recent and proposed actions.
The recent increases in carryover stocks combined with large crops has brought sharply lower prices on international markets for grains. Some grains are selling on world markets at or below the long-run cost of production of efficient producers. We believe that this situation, if it persists, will threaten the long-run production capability of world agriculture by reducing investment incentives not only in the United States and other developed countries, but even more importantly in developing countries.
To avoid these over-reactions the U. S. has passed new domestic farm legislation designed to give producers protection against temporary imbalances in supply and demand. We believe that protecting the productive capacity of U. S. agriculture is a major factor in ensuring world food security.
At the same time the U. S. Government acted to take advantage of the current low prices and adequate supplies of grains by establishing a reserve programme. In late August, the United States announced a comprehensive plan to place from 30 to 35 million metric tons of food and grains in reserve prior to the beginning of the 1978/79 marketing year. This will be held in a farmer-owned reserve system which will return these products to the market if there is a crop shortfall which leads to higher prices.
Our program includes the creation of a special international food reserve of up to 6 millions tons of wheat to ensure that our current and special food aid commitments can be met.
One final point regarding our domestic policy actions which may have been inadequately understood by many other nations. In late August, the U. S. Government requested its wheat producers to reduce plantings for the 1978/79 crop. We calculate this will result in an 8 to 10 percent actual decrease in production. This was done in the context of our view of need for a temporary adjustment in world food grain production.
Yesterday we announced plans for a modest reduction in our feed grain production. However, recognizing the uncertainties in world production these plans will undergo a complete review before a final decision is made.
Despite these actions, our ending grain stocks will be at the highest level since the mid-1960's and these actions were taken after careful estimation that world supplies would be adequate at reasonable prices, and after ensuring that reserves would be established to ensure against possible crop shortfalls in the coming year.
We are taking active leadership in a proposed new international wheat agreement which would establish an internationally coordinated system of national reserve stocks to reduce the excessive swings in world market prices and extend world food security. We have recommended a strengthened food aid convention within that agreement, with provisions to ensure that food aid quantities can be increased in response to unusual needs. In particular we have advocated that donor countries should take steps to improve their capacity to maintain food aid flows during periods of high prices and to provide food aid in response to acute production shortfalls in developing countries. We strongly urge that all nations join us in our attempt to bring these discussions to a rapid and successful conclusion.
The actions I have described are immediate initiatives designed to be consistent with the long-run needs of the world. I should like to turn now to these long-run needs and our view of FAO's role regarding them.
The continued need for improved nutrition and sustained higher rates of food production in most developing countries cannot be questioned. Among the key elements required to achieve these goals is a substantially higher level of investment in various aspects of agricultural production and marketing in the developing countries.
There are several aspects of this investment which deserve attention.
One aspect is the need for greater investment in the traditional infrastructure needed to improve agricultural productivity - irrigation and drainage facilities, land improvement, and the like. This form of investment will require both increased external resources and increased internal efforts. Regarding the latter, the importance of adequate incentives to producers in generating such internal investment is often overlooked, and thus inadequate internal policies may well offset the effects of increased external investment flows.
A second type of investment required is a sustained investment in the production of new knowledge and production techniques applicable to the conditions of individual developing countries. Similar need exists regarding better methods of harvesting, marketing, and storage necessary to reduce harvest and post-harvest losses.
A third and most important type of investment needed is greater investment in farm and rural people. They must have improved health and nutrition in order to improve their well-being and productivity, and, they must have greater knowledge of improved production, marketing, and other techniques.
The U. S. is moving actively to support these needs on several fronts.
U. S. contributions to international development lending institutions will be up more than double in 1978 compared with 1976, and much of this will be concessional monies. For example, the United States has ratified the fifth replenishment of the International Development Association (IDA), which is the World Bank's concessional lending program, and we will be making an $800 million contribution to the IDA. The total IDA replenishment amounts to $7. 6 billion over the next three years. Since IDA disburses about 30 percent of its funds for food and agricultural projects in the most needy countries, this could mean some $750 million in new commitments - up from $420 million in IDA monies for agricultural development to these countries in 1976. The United States will also fully support the regional banks.
The U. S. has deposited the instruments of ratification of the International Fund for Agricultural Development. We anticipate that IFAD will be operational by the end of this year and will begin making disbursements for food and agricultural projects on concessional terms to food priority countries.
Our bilateral technical assistance programs will be substantially increased in 1978 - about $50 million over the $536 million we had appropriated in 1976 and 1977. A substantial increase is earmarked for the Sahel region in Africa.
Major changes have been made in our food aid program known as P. L. 480. Commodity commitments under Title II - the donation provisions of the Law -have been increased in favor of the most vulnerable populations of the most needy nations, thus increasing our investment in improved nutrition. In addition, a new Title III using food for development was added to encourage recipient nations to increase their agricultural development and economic programs, including nutritional programs on a long-term basis. We believe that long-term food-for-development programs can provide significant assistance in helping developing countries mobilize greater investment in several of the areas I have mentioned.
The total United States food assistance to the developing world during the coming year will amount to about 6 million tons. Of that total at least 1, 6 million tons will be distributed by voluntary agencies of the World Food Programme. This latter is a multi-use commitment by the United States covering the years 1978 through 1982. We estimate a substantial portion of these 1. 6 million tons will be distributed through the World Food Programme.
The United States is deeply interested in all these investment programs because, without adequate investment in all aspects of food and agriculture, the prospects of reducing malnutrition and meeting the food needs of most developing countries would have little chance of long-run success. Thus, the projected increases in the various U. S. investment efforts are earmarked for countries most in need.
All of these efforts recognize the need for greater food production in the developing countries. It is equally important, however, that greater incomes be generated in order that people can obtain the food once it is available. This requires programs in employment and rural development. For this reason we support the aims of the proposed Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development and hope that it can be sharply focused on issues crucial to solutions of these problems.
In Manila, we told the World Food Council that the United States is moving more positively to aid the developing countries in their search for a solution to their food problems. The programs I have just now enumerated are indications of how the United States means to back up these statements. We have turned away from policies that were too often passive and sometimes actually negative. We have established for ourselves a new set of goals, some new priorities, and a new level of commitment.
We now want to take the aditional step of relating our goals on these matters to our hopes for FAO programs. We want to suggest our expectations with respect to FAO. The challenge facing us in foodand agriculture is too large for any single organization to undertake. It is important that togetherwe define and maintain a clear view of the role of FAO. I can begin by saying that, in our view, amongU. N. specialized agencies the FAO should exercise a leading international role in combatting hungerand malnutrition.
We believe FAO activities should be directed principally to agricultural development and the eradication of hunger in developing countries. Therefore, its operations should reflect this priority. Thus, the U. S. is prepared to give major support to FAO in giving international leadership to:
- Efforts of international organizations and all countries to relieve hunger among the people most in need of FAO's assistance to accomplish this task;
- Facilitating the flow of developmental resources, especially in those countries most in need of assistance;
- Utilization of various development resources in ways which facilitate the access of the hungry to food. We especially appreciate the World Food Programme as one of the most important contributors toward these goals.
FAO should concentrate more of its resources on food production and consumption problems of developing countries. In this process, emphasis should be placed on facilitating access to food by the poor of the developing countries and particularly those in the poorest of these countries. FAO should develop policies and programs to increase food production in a way that will have a direct impact on human nutrition, improve marketing and consumption practices, and attain more equitable distribution.
Even this set of priorities will require that FAO continue to have a broad range of concerns and we suggest that an even sharper focus be given within these programs. Our strong support for the new post-harvest loss program is predicated on the assumption that it will be a definable program focused upon countries where need is greatest and prospects for significant improvements are high.
We will continue to support programs on improved land and water use, linking available technology and its its users, investment planning, and nutrition monitoring and planning. The singling out of these is not meant to exclude others but to indicate our belief that the acute and growing problem of world hunger and malnutrition requires that FAO redirects its programs and activities to deal with those problems.
Thus, the United States will look to the other international organizations for primary leadership on certain problems - organizations such as the World Food Council, the United Nations Development Program, the International Wheat Council, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. We would look to still others, the World Bank, the regional banks, and IFAD, for example, for mobilization and disbursement of financial resources which are channeled through multilateral agencies.
FAO has a magnificent record of achievement in the more than 30 years of its existence. President Carter and we who serve with him in the U. S. Government are pledged to the fullest and most earnest support of this Organization. Like each of you, we recognize the urgency of the job with which we are charged - to reduce hunger and malnutrition and to build food security throughout the world. Like each of you, we want to get on speedily with this enormous but rewarding task. We welcome the opportunity to work with each of you, with each of your governments, in advancing the goals of this great Organization.
Let us move forward together.
CHAIRMAN: I thank the distinguished delegate of the United States.
I now call Mr. Imtiazi (Secretary and Minister of Food and Agriculture, Pakistan).
I. A. IMTIAZI (Pakistan): On behalf of the Pakistan delegation to the 19th Session of the FAO Conference, please accept, Your Excellency, our sincere felicitations on your unanimous election to the august office of Chairman of the Conference. The skill with which you have been guiding the Conference, leaves no doubt in our minds, that under your Chairmanship, our deliberations will be constructive and our decisions, positive. Ours being a predominantly agrarian economy, our interest in FAO activities is vital and our concern with the successful outcome of the current Conference, deep. Mr. Chairman, may we also avail ourselves of this opportunity to extend to the eight newly elected members of the FAO - namely Angola, Comoros, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Djibouti, Mozambique, Namibia, Sao Tome and Principe, and Seychelles - our heartiest welcome. We have no doubt that their addition to the family of FAO members will strengthen and reinforce the FAO. We assure them of our full and close cooperation.
Sir, agriculture is not only by far the most important economic activity in Pakistan: for us it is a way of life. It produces food and fibre for about 75 million people who live in Pakistan. It produces raw material for feeding the industry. It throws up surpluses for export in raw or processed form. More than one-half of the active labour force is employed in agriculture. More than one third of the GDP is contributed by agriculture. More than two-thirds of the people live in rural areas. It is our firm belief that Pakistan, in terms of its natural and human resource endowment, has a natural potential, for appreciable agricultural development. It is also our conviction that FAO with its experience and expertise, can help us realize our potential for agricultural development, much sooner, and more eonomically and effectively than would otherwise be possible. There are vast possibilities of fruitful FAO-Pakistan collaboration in line with the new matter-of-fact, down-to-earth, field-oriented practical approach adopted by FAO. For example, some such possibilities could be as follows:
Pakistan's geographic area is equal to about 200 million acres, one third of which still remains unreported. Perhaps, some of the ultra-modern land survey techniques could help us bring on record, the productive or the non-productive character of such a vast, yet unreported, tract.
Of the reported balance, as much as 26 million acre area is culturable waste, constraints preventing its utilization being primarily lack of irrigation water and secondly, lack of financial and mechanical wherewithal for operations such as land-clearance, land-levelling etc. FAO could perhaps help us identify and develop a strategy appropriate for our conditions for the utilization of this vast culturable waste. We have made a modest beginning with the establishment of an Arid Zone Research Institute which is still in its infancy and stands in need of substantial technical support in terms of both hard-ware and software.
Sir, of the balance, seven million acres are under forests. This, it would be appreciated is a disproportionately low figure relative to the total area. For purposes of a more acceptable ecological balance, for soil preservation, for meeting the country's mounting needs for wood, timber and fuel, areas under forests in our case should be at least 5 times more than these are at present. This points to the need for raising quick-growing trees of high value. There is also an urgent need for conserving the forests against indiscriminate felling and inefficient logging. We could benefit considerably from the experience of other countries in regard to quick afforestation, effective forest conservation and efficient forest exploitation. Three of our senior foresters are currently in China studying the Chinese method. We gratefully appreciate the Chinese assistance but scope for further gainful international cooperation in our forestry is still immense.
Of the remaining 100 million acres, half the area is reportedly not available for cultivation, for example, being under roads, buildings, rivers, canals, barren hills etc Only 50 million acre area (or roughly 1/4 of the total geographic area) is cultivated, on which subsist 75 million people. There being about 12 million farmers, average size of a holding per farming family is extremely small. This average is evidently insensitive to differences in farm sizes. This also does not bring out quite clearly the problem of tenant-farmers, landless labourers and village artisans, most of whom suffer from largely concealed and partly even unconcealed unemployment. Any technology, any strategy that does not tackle these issues frontally, in our context, is bound to fail. That is why my delegation attaches such great importance to the Projected World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development. We would urge this Conference to authorise adequate financial allocation necessary for organizing the said Conference on an appropriate scale. The problems to be tackled by that Conference are of fundamental importance to the teeming millions constituting the rural poor, dispersed all over the globe. The complexity and the enormity of the assignment calls for an imaginative approach.
Of the 50 million-cultivated area, 12 million acres remain 'current fallow' while 9 million acres are sown more than once, thus 47 million acres are cropped, thereby giving a cropping intensity of 94 percent. This level of cropping intensity, in the context of our man-land ratio is dismally low. It is true we are constrained by restricted water availability. Even so, we need technical advice and capital support to raise our cropping intensity to a more meaningful level than at present.
In addition to poor cropping intensity, an important area needing attention, and assistance is the cropping pattern. Of the 47 million acres cropped annually, roughly 20. 5 million acres are cropped during summer: (April-October) and roughly 26. 5 million acres are cropped during winter (November-March). Major summer crops are cotton (4. 5 million acres), rice (4. 5 million acres), sugar-cane (1. 8 million acres), maize, millet and sorghum (5. 2 million acres) fodder (2. 5 million acres). Major winter crops are wheat (16. 0 million acres), gram (3. 0 million acres), rape and mustard (1, 5 million acres), fodder (3. 0 million acres). Thus in summer, 5 major crops account for over 90 percent of the cropped acreage, while in winter, 4 major crops account for over 90 percent of the cropped acreage, wheat alone accounting for 60 percent of the winter cropped acreage. This cropping pattern for us has several weaknesses; for example, it lacks enough diversification; it is not fully responsive to our national needs. Our edible oil import gap is mounting fast. We spend almost $ 200 million on meeting the edible oil gap between indigenous availability and domestic needs. Production of pulses, main source of protein in the poor man's diet, has not been rising as fast as required to keep up with the expanding population, acceptable nutritional standards and changing income patterns. There is thus great need and scope for diversifying the cropping pattern and shifting areas, subject to feasibility, from the less to the more remunerative crops.
Another important area in Pakistani agriculture requiring major thrust is its low productivity levels. We produce 9 million tons of wheat from 16 million acres; 2. 9 million tons of rice from 4. 5 million acres; 3. 5 million bales (each bale - 392 lbs. ) of cotton lint from 4. 5 million acres; 28. 00 million tons of sugarcane from 1. 8 million acres; 800 000 tons of maize from almost twice that many acres. These macro-figures tend to hide some of the even more dismal productivity levels of the non-irrigated for example rain-fed areas. For example, in case of wheat, 1/4 rainfed acreage produces only 1/10 of the total output. The need for attending to the all-important question of improving productivity levels, particularly on the small farm, in the non-irrigated, areas (e. g. rainfed, flooded, hilly, arid, semi-arid areas), cannot be over-emphasised.
Here, Pakistan delegation would be failing in its duty if it did not acknowledge with gratitude the assistance that Pakistan has received from FAO. Cotton and rice are our two most important summer crops. Between themselves cotton, cotton based products and rice account for almost 70 percent of our physical export earnings. Cotton seed is an important source of edible oil and animal feed. For the past several years cotton output had been persistently declining: in absolute terms, from 4. 0 million bales in 1971-72 to 2. 4 million bales in 1976-77; as also in terms of yield per acre. The net result of such sharp and persistent decline reflected itself in declining export earnings from cotton and cotton based products and in a mounting edible oil import bill. Rice output and per-acre-yield. too. "had been stagnating at low levels. My Government requested the Director-General, FAO about two months ago to send to Pakistan a high-level Cotton-and-Rice Productivity Mission, to identify and study on the spot, factors responsible for declining/stagnating cotton/rice output/yield trends, and formulate, in collaboration with local expertise, short-run, medium-run and long-run proposals, concrete and feasible and appropriate to our conditions, for reversing the trend. The Director-General, FAO responded to my Government's request promptly: the leader of the Mission arrived in Pakistan within a month or so of our request, and the rest of the Mission within a fortnight, thereafter. The Mission is currently in Pakistan,
I have dwelt on this matter, at some length, only in order to under-score the need for supporting FAO's Technical Cooperation Programme without whose flexibility FAO's ability to respond quickly and adequately to developing countries' calls for urgent help would be considerably constricted.
Higher agricultural outputs, are almost by definition a function, largely, of better availability, and more efficient utilization of agricultural inputs: be these, physical inputs such as land, water, seed, fertilizers, plant protection material and equipment, agricultural machinery, or be these other types of inputs such as education, research, extension, credit, storage, marketing, input-output price relationships etc. We have problems in all these areas where FAO and FAO type assistance would help. For example:
In the case of land, waterlogging and salinity, and soil-erosion are a serious menace to land quality and deserve urgent attention.
In the case of water, losses through seepage and evaporation, between the surface-flow sources and the fields, and on the fields, have been assessed to be colossal. Better off-farm and on-farm water management could improve land-water productivity levels manifold at relatively nominal costs.
In the cace of seed, we have found by experience that gains from the timely evolution, multiplication and distribution of good quality seeds are enormous. That is why we consider FAO's Seed Industry Project so important.
In the case of chemical fertilizers, even though their use in recent years has gone up several-fold, and even though during the current financial year we shall be using 600 000 N/tons of nitrogenous 150 000 N/tons of phosphatic and 5 000 N/tons of potassic fertilizers, average offtake per cropped acre would still be hardly 16 kilos - less than a quarter of the minimum recommended dosage. Even at this low level of offtake, we produce only 50 percent of our nitrogenous fertilizer, 10 percent of phosphatic fertilizer and no potassic fertilizer. When the three fertilizer factories under erection get operational, our import gap will get considerably reduced but not eliminated. We have the basic raw material, that is the natural gas, available but lack know-now and investment capital which despite protracted effort seem to elude us, at least on terms acceptable to us. We do hope that the International Fund for Agricultural Development after becoming operational soon, will give top priority to projects such as these.
In the case of plant protection, our dependence on external assistance, whether in terms of physical supplies or in terms of know-how, is even greater than that in the case of fertilizers. We cannot but endorse the World Food Counil's call as contained in the Manila Declaration of June 1977, to help developing countries build, expand and improve their own plant protection capacity.
The same would hold good in case of agricultural machinery.
It is in relation to certain other inputs, such as education, research, extension, credit, storage, marketing that FAO and FAO-type assistance can play an even more useful role for countries in situations similar to that of Pakistan. That is why we can hardly over-emphasise the need for supporting FAO's call for redirecting investment into the development of human resources, for, in the ultimate analysis, it is the man behind the plough or the tractor-wheel, whose competence, motivation and commitment will make all the difference between good and bad agriculture. His competence and his commitment in turn will be the function of the kind of extension service and input-output pricing package, credit, storage and marketing facilities he receives.
Similarly, numerous areas in the fields of livestock, poultry, fishery and dairy development and animal health can be pointed out where gainful FAO-Pakistan collaboration, on a meaningful scale, is not only feasible but exceedingly desirable.
In general, we would like to emphasise two aspects especially: storage and marketing. Post-harvest losses due to poor storage are colossal. It is for this reason that we support the FAO Director-General's idea to set up a special fund for the prevention of post-harvest food losses. We share his hope that formal and procedural obstacles will be overcome through mutual understanding and goodwill.
The other aspect to which we would like to draw the attention of the Conference is the imperative need for ensuring fair terms of trade to the developing countries. Last year we produced a short cotton crop; then the prices ruled between 80 and 90 cents per lb. This year we produced about a million bales more than last year only to discover that prices have slumped to around 50 cents per pound. Quantitative and non-quantitative restrictions on the export of processed or semi-processed agro-based manufactures, from the developing to the developed countries, create additional difficulties. Recession in the developed countries complicates the picture still further. Continually rising prices of our inelastic, essential imports relative to the declining prices of our principal exports subject to restrictions, facing stagnant or falling demand, should illustrate our dilemma. In the absence of prompt international agricultural adjustment, agricultural development effort in the developing countries could be seriously retarded.
Along the need for remunerative trade is the need for attaining before 1980 the $ 8. 3 billion goal of annual external assistance (mostly on bearable concessional terms) to help promote agricultural development for food production, in developing countries. Current state of food and agriculture which is somewhat better than that in 1974 should not lull us into complacency. The need for reinforcing developing countries' productive capability through trade and soft aid, and the need for building a food security reserve are as pressing today as before. It would be tragic if we let this opportunity slip out of our fingers merely because we have lost our sense of urgency or because nations have failed to evolve a workable basis for helping one another without hurting one another.
Let me conclude by saying that in our view Pakistan and countries like Pakistan can benefit a great deal from FAO's assistance, be it technical or be it capital. In the relentless struggle against hunger, malnutrition and poverty, such mutually beneficial international collaboration should earn humanity's abiding gratitude.
[N. B. All figures quoted are rounded and approximate. ]
PAULINELLI (Brazil) (interpretation from Portuguese): First of all I would like to congratulate you on your election. We are confident that with your vast experience and the background of the notable accomplishments of Indonesia in promoting agricultural development our Conference has the effective leadership necessary to ensure the successful conclusion of the work before us.
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the new members of the Organization on their admission. Knowing the close links between Angola, Mozambique and Sao Tomé and Principe and Brazil, stemming from the common origin of our people, we are most appreciative of the contributions that these countries will make to the work of the Orgnization.
As a preliminary remark to my observations I would like to say that we are confident that the statement made by the Director-General provides us with an excellent framework for our deliberations. We concur with his broad analysis of the world agricultural situation and with the general approach he has suggested to direct the efforts of the international community towards solving the problems that confront developing countries.
At the 19th Session of the Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations it is my privilege to state that Brazil reiterates, emphatically, its optimistic and constructive position in the search for a solution to the crucial problem of food scarcity for a large segment of humanity. We hope that the debate which will take place during this Conference will assist in overcoming this important problem.
In the statement which we made during the 18th Session of the Conference we gave evidence of the significant efforts of the Brazilian Government to promote agricultural development in the country.
We now repeat that the priority given to the agricultural sector, as. expressed in increasing incentives given to producers, has yielded notable success. The refinement of our governmental schemes of support to agriculture has contributed a great deal in this endeavour.
Among the measures of support by the Government to the agricultural producers we would like to stress the programme of agricultural research, in which the Federal Government increased its expenditures from US$ 10. 7 millions in 1974 to US$ 99. 5 millions in 1977. We should add that this year US$ 29. 5 millions will also be spent by the various State Governments, thus making the official expenditure in agricultural research a total of US$ 128. 1 millions.
The policy of the Government on landownership, which aims to expand ownership of land and access to governmental agricultural services, has been reflected in the assignment of 27. 1 million hectares of land for settlement and in the granting of 131 000 new titles of ownership between 1974 and 1977.
In order to expand financing to rural producers, the volume of credit allocated to agriculture - from production to marketing - increased from US$ 7. 1 billion in 1974 to US$ 12. 2 billion in 1976.
With similar goals and with the aim of maintaining the stimulus to the producer, the Government is strengthening its minimum price policy which at present covers 31 commodities. This programme of price support has cost the Government US$ 1. 3 billion covering a volume of approximately 9. 2 million tons of produce in the first nine months of this year.
Our basic storage capacity increased from 35 to 40 million tons between 1975 and 1977, at a cost of US$ 315 "million, in response to Government incentives given in the National Storage Programme,
With regard to marketing facilities, there are at present 22 wholesale supply centres and 23 horticultural wholesale markets in operation in the major urban centres, benefitting a population of some 42 million people. To comolement this, 17 rural collecting centres started operation in 1977 in major areas of agricultural production where there are also branches of the major credit institutions, facilities for classification and standardization of produce, technical'assistance and market information.
With the objective of regulating markets and, among other things, of guaranteeing domestic supply, the Government has implemented a policy of regulatory stocks. Under this policy the Government has already purchased this year 2. 4 million tons of agricultural products - including meat, milk, rice and beans -at a cost of $ 510 millions.
With regard to renewable natural resources it should be noted that forest development in Brazil'has received considerable support, with a flow of resources of US$1. 5 billion during the period 1974 to 1977. This support has made possible reafforestation of an area of approximately 648 000 hectares in the same period. In addition, considerable efforts are made for the preservation of Brazil's immense forest heritage.
We should also mention that in fisheries, where we have a great potential, governmental expenditures amounted to $103 million between 1974 and 1977. The programmes of the Government in this sector were designed to provide a better inventory of resources and to promote their exploitaiton, to improve working conditions of around 60 000 small fishermen arid to improve the infrastructure of production and marketing so as to expand the domestic supply of lower-cost proteins. In this regard we expect that this year our catch will surpass 1 million tons.
The response of producers to all these government programmes has been positive and swift, as evidenced by the larger crops harvested each year. Thus we have been able to surpass our agricultural targets and in recent years the rate of growth in agricultural production has been higher than ever before.
We should also like to bring to your attention the specific situation of such agricultural products as beans, rice, wheat, barley, maize and soy beans, which constitute the staple food of people in many countries. Our production of these commodities has increased from 16 million tons in 1960 to 27 million tons in 1970, 43 million tons in 1976, and is expected to reach 47 million tons in 1977. This volume of production has made possible a growing participation in international markets as well as an increasing: satisfactory supply for our ever expanding domestic demand, with resulting improvements in the level of nutrition.
The efforts of Brazil in expanding the supply of grains to meet, in particular, the requirements of our domestic market should be noted. Consumption has increased very rapidly in recent years, as indicated by the average of levels of consumption of key products, such as meat which increased from 19. 5 kg. per capita in 1970 to 35. 1 kg in 1975, and of milk, which went from 75. 5 litres to 90. 3 litres in the same period. Our consumption must nevertheless be increased in accordance with the social policy of the Brazilian Government.
We should also note in this regard that a major effort is under way to improve nutrition standards in Brazil, in line with other measures to expand production and marketing of foodstuffs among small farmers. For example, the National Food Programme benefited 11. 5 million people at a cost of 160 million US$ in 1977.
In its search to improve social conditions in the North East of Brazil the poorest region in the country, the Government is undertaking a major programme of integrated rural development which should create 351 000 new rural jobs and directly benefit 268 000 families, by means of an investment programme estimated to cost 1. 2 billion dollars over a period of five years. With the same objective, a Programme of Development of Rural Communities has been established; its immediate aim is to assist 3 000 families among the very poor.
It should be noted that the rapid agricultural expansion in Brazil has taken place not only as a result of an increase in productivity but also because of the expansion of new areas under cultivation.
Thus, the total area of land under utilization increased from 249 million hectares in 1960 to 294 million in 1970, and we estimate that it has reached 322 million in 1975, of which 12 per cent is land under cultivation and the remainder is used for forestry and livestock. Even if we take the conservative estimate of 413 million hectares as the total land easily usable in Brazil, it becomes clear that there still is considerable scope for the expansion of our agricultural frontier.
In this regard it should be noted that in recent years extensive savannah areas have been brought into agricultural production in the region which we call ''Cerrado'' which, covering an area of approximately 160 million hectares, has proved very suitable for agriculture. Until recently lacking in water resources, this region remained largely unutilized despite a topography suitable to mechanization and soils requiring little correction. It simply lacked appropriate technology adapted to its particular characteristics.
With the establishment of the "Cerrado'' Research Centre, and with the implementaition of a number of specific projects, we are bringing to bear the immense potential of this region for the cultivation of soyabeans, maize, wheat, as well as for the development of pasture land.
We are convinced that the growing Brazilian agricultural production has contributed significantly to overcoming the difficulties of our development process. Indeed, we have managed to expand our agricultural exports and we are trying to assure our country a position in world markets as a regular and reliable supplier through a series of policies and measures ultimately designed to improve productivity. Our statistics show that our agricultural exports amounted to 1. 2 billion dollars in 1965; 1. 9 billion in 1970; and we achieved 4. 8 billion in 1975; 6. 6 billion in 1976 and we expect to export 8 billion dollars worth of agricultural products this year.
These are figures which indicate our immense agricultural potential and the actual strength of this sector.
As evidenced by the information which I have just given to you, the experience of Brazil has shown that we can occupy a place of prominence among food producers in the world, as long as we manage to develop appropriate technology of our conditions.
We are certain that the statements of other delegations from developing countries will also reflect, by their achievements in agricultural development, the response to the production drive which emerged during the 18th FAO Conference.
We believe, however, that the effort to expand production and improve productivity is not enough, since developing countries require the complementary stimulus of demand in international markets. In this regard we cannot fail to stress the incompatibility between the call for expanded food production made by the World Food Conference in 1974, and the growing trend towards protectionism, which is distorting the harmony and complementarity among national economies. At present, this protectionism is probably the most serious threat to world food security based on improved levels of production and productivity in developing countries. Moreover, it represents a strong obstacle to the increase in the levels of income in our countries, particularly in rural areas.
Thus, we should give special importance in our debates to the role of the countries that are not traditional food exporters. We should endeavour to minimize the difficulties for these countries to enter and participate effectively in the community of food exporting nations.
There are many programmes in my country which benefit from the cooperation and technical assistance of FAO. We believe that this assistance should be considerably enlarged, particularly in the case of those programmes designed to improve the level of nutrition of low income groups. We fully concur with the new orientation which the Director-General is giving to the Organization so as to make it capable of responding in a more effective manner to the needs of developing countries.
Our statement in this important Plenary clearly shows that Brazil has not failed in her commitment to the international community in cooperating to increase the world supply of food so as to reduce poverty and malnutrition both at home and abroad.
We have consciously promoted the rapid expansion of our domestic consumption, though knowing that in a few cases we would have to rely on imports.
At the same time, we have run the risk of producing for external markets, in response to the challenge formulated during our last Conference for increasing world food supply. It would be regrettable if this Plenary were forced to recognize that the efforts of developing countries to supply the world market have encountered growing obstacles, or that their internal savings have not elicited the necessary volume of external complementary funds, at adequate terms, nor the necessary technological transfer.
My country is willing to proceed in this noble path of searching for solutions to the world food problems. We are confident that existing difficulties will be debated here and that solutions will be found which will serve the best interests of the international community.
GAK KYU CHOI (Korea, Rep. of): On behalf of the Government of the Republic of Korea, I wish to join the previous speakers in congratulating you on your unanimous election to the Chairman of this Conference. My congratulations also go to the three Vice-Chairmen for their well-deserved elections. I hope and trust that, under your distinguished leadership, this Conference will be a successful one. My Delegation pledges its best cooperation to help bring this conference to a- fruitful conclusion.
I also wish to pay my delegation's high tribute to Dr. Saouma, Director-General of the FAO for his inspiring leadership and commendable contribution to the strengthening of the FAO activities.
The 19th Session of the FAO Conference this year is being held at a time when more concerted and intensified efforts by all nations are called for to solve the world food problem. The situation in which the world finds itself today with respect to food is comprised of literally hundreds of problems. Some of these problems are technical, and many are institutional, cultural, economic, and political. Many of these problems require action by international bodies such as this one; others require negotia tions and accord between individual nations, and still others require attention and solutions by respective countries. In this sense, the food problem is not a problem confined to certain countries, but it is a global problem for the well-being of all the peoples of the world. In my view, so far, the right direction to solving global food problems and various measures for food security have been pursued under the initiation of FAO and other related organizations. Individual countries have also been striving to increase food production and to ease population problems. However, the complexity and interdependency of the food problem require that we pursue a comprehensive and coordinated analysis and that our individual and combined solutions be simultaneously applied from many different directions.
In the light of what has been said, the Director-General's Programme of Work and Budget for 1978-79 reflects the new sets of policy guidelines and contains concrete and effective action programmes such as investment in food and agricultural production, the technical cooperation programme and decentralization from headquarters to country level.
I believe that these are well conceived and realistic approaches to solve the food and agricultural problems in developing countries. My delegation, therefore, fully supports these programmes.
Now, please allow me briefly to introduce our own endeavours and experiences in agricultural and rural development. During the fifteen years of three consecutive Five-Year Economic Development Plans, we concentrated our efforts on balanced economic growth.
As for the agricultural sector, during this period, first, farm household income, probably the most relevant indicator of the success of Korea's agricultural policy, has exceeded the income of urban worker households since 1974 and this trend continues. This marked a new era for Korean farmers, for no longer can it be said that they are less well off than urban workers; secondly, for the past 3 years, our annual production of rice has exceeded the record level of each previous year and is expected, yet again, to reach a new record level of 8. 5 million metric tons this year. As a result, Korea's position has changed from rice importing to self-sufficiency, enabling us now to establish a buffer stock for food security requirements.
In analysing this development, I cannot overemphasise the contribution of Saemaul Undong, in other words, the New Community Movement, to farm income growth, production increase, and rural development. Saemaul Undong has been the main driving force behind our farmers' full participation in integrated rural development. This was complemented by the introduction of the new high yielding rice variety. This variety was initially developed by our rice-breeding experts in cooperation with the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines. In fact, during the past couple of years, average yield of the new rice variety has been about 30 to 40 percent above that of traditional rice, and the area devoted to this new variety has ewpanded to more than 60 percent of the total paddy fields.
As a further example of our multi-directional efforts in agricultural developments, we made substantial investments in water and land developments, and newly introduced policies to modernize our agriculture. All these combined efforts have resulted in both a stable and growing agricultural production.
Since you, Mr. Chairman and Mr. Director-General, have described in such a succinct manner world food and agricultural problems and also action-oriented programmes to solve these problems, I would like to confine myself to touching on a few areas commonly facing us all.
First of all, we must all recognize that the present relief from the crisis in food supply experienced during the 1973 to 1975 period has been mainly due to improved weather conditions in many parts of the globe. However, the underlying food production system and distribution networks are basically little changed. Thus, we cannot become complacent even though surpluses are building up in some countries at a rate faster than we could have imagined only two years ago. In order to continue the increase in agricultural production, especially in the developing countries, investments are still needed to improve the agricultural production base, to introduce innovative technology and institutional arrangements. Therefore, larger amounts of capital flow and technology transfer among nations are still vital, and cooperation between the developed and the developing countries in this field are of particular importance even more so than ever before. I have noted, however, with concern that the flows of capital and technology from the developed to the developing countires are decreasing in recent years.
In this regard, my delegation is pleased to see that the International Fund for Agricultural Development will soon start its function to finance the agricultural development projects. I hope that IFAD will pay a significant role in providing capital and technology to the developing world in close cooperation with FAO.
International trade on primary commodities also plays an important role in our efforts to increase the incomes of small farmers, who comprise the majority of the rural population in the developing world.
We have to realise the importance of agricultural exports as a prime foreign exchange source for many developing countries. However, recent developments in world agricultural trade have not shown much improvement mainly because of the import barriers of the developed countries which adversely affect the export industries of the developing countries. We strongly feel that all nations should strive for more equitable access to world markets and relaxation of trade barriers as an instrument of both economic development and as a means of improving the level of the human condition.
Turning briefly to fisheries development, there have been many efforts for international cooperation since the Law of the Sea conference began. We are convinced that marine resources will remain an important source of food and nutrition for many peoples in the world. We are of the view that these valuable resources must be conserved in a way that will allow for continued and sustained harvesting over a time with equitable access to the fruits of the harvest by all nations.
What can the developing world offer as a contribution to the world food problem? We all have strived in many ways to improve the quality, of rural life and to eliminate rural mass poverty. The idea of integrated rural development has been often emphasized on many occasions at international conferences and meetings. It is also true that most developing countries have organized various types of integrated package programmes and policies. However, the results have not always been satisfactory. As a matter of fact, rural development is a complex process involving total structural change in rural community systems. Rural development requires a multidisciplinary and integrated approach in which development policies should be conceived as part of a whole. I must emphasize that rural development cannot be achieved simply by the maximum flow of resources into rural communities without positive and active response and the initiative of rural people. Our experiences have shown that the major challenges for rural development are how to ignite people's zeal, how to motivate rural people, and how to make them accept and utilize new farming technologies. Our Saemaul Undong is the Korean method of meeting these'challenges. This Programme, initiated in rural Korea in 1970 is characterized by the concepts of self-help, diligence and cooperation. The ultimate goal of this movement is comprehensive and integrated rural development. This encompasses improvement in the rural environment and rural living conditions, more balanced nutrition, increasing rural incomes and uplifting spirit and morale at the rural grass roots level. We believe that our experiences could be relevent to our fellow developing countries, and we are ready to share our own experiences with other developing countries.
Lastly, I earnestly hope that all nations, will remove various man-made barriers, promoting exchange of people, commodities, know-how, and experiences for the well-being of the world. The poverty in many parts of the world will disappear only when bridges of mutual trust and friendship among neighbours, peoples, and nations are built. Such development will bring peace, freedom, and prosperity to all of us. This is the very spirit of this Organization. We must continue all our efforts to build up an environment that will allow us best to utilize our limited resources, time, and energy for sufficient food, clothing, and better living conditions. We should keep in mind that the future of the crowded globe depends on our courage and wisdom today.
In conclusion, my delegation wishes to express its sincere appreciation to the Government and people of Italy for the cordial hospitality they have extended to us all.
J. J. M. NYAGAH (Kenya): Mr. Chairman, Director-General, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen. It is my privilege to congratulate you, Mr. Chairman, and your fellow team members for your election to preside over the 19th Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization, We have confidence in you and the rest of the bureau, and I would like to assure you of the fullest cooperation of my delegation in the course of these proceedings.
The Kenya delegation has pleasure in joining other delegations in welcoming into the Organization as new members: Angola, Comoros, Djibuti, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Mozambique, Namibia, Sao Tome and Principe and the Seychelles. We heartily congratulate them for their well deserved membership of this august Organization. With their admission to the membership of FAO, the International Community is all the richer.
In his statement to this august Assembly, the Director-General gave a broad outline of the Organization's activities, and the proposed programme of work, and Budget over the next biennium. I commend him for his excellent statement particularly with regard to the due priority he placed on the programmes of the Developing World, and I am pleased to note that this is consistent with the new thrust in the FAO's Policy of decentralization. My delegation therefore intends to comment on the important points • raised by the Director-General under the relevant items of the agenda. At this stage, however, I will only touch on a few of the issues which I consider relevant of immediate concern to this Conference.
While we give credit to the FAO for having achieved some of the goals set by the Organization, there are other issues of relevance to agricultural development which are causing a great deal of concern.
The Director-General has already pointed out in his report on Monday that the food production situation in Africa was disappointing between 1974-1976. It is therefore quite clear that the 4 percent annual growth rate target for food production in developing countries, which was set by UN DD II will not be achieved.
While we still express our disappointment at the failure to achieve the DD II targets, we also note that the World Food Conference recommended a minimum of 10 million tons in food aid to flow from, developed to developing countries per annum. This has also not been achieved in spite of the fact that grain surpluses are reported in the countries which are a party to the World Food Conference resolutions
We also would like to express our serious concern about the inability of the FAO to effectively monitor the progress made on International Agriculture Adjustment, This subject is of extreme importance in the attempts by the international community to achieve a new International Economic Order, and we would like to call upon the FAO to cooperate with the other relevant agencies for a more satisfactory explanation on the progress.
You are aware, Mr. Chairman, that negotiations are presently going on for the establishment of the Common Fund as recommended under Resolution 9 (iv) of UNCTAD IV. Indications are, however, that these negotiations are being stalled by the developed countries, with the objective of postponing the establishment of this all important fund, and that it will be several years before the fund can actually become operational.
The same is true of the North-South Dialogue and the Tokyo Round.
Kenya delegation takes this opportunity to congratulate those countries which have taken the bold step of cancelling some debts owed by the developing countries. We expect that many more of the developed countries will follow suit, and emulate this example. It is only when this is done that we will take more seriously the statements that are made here regarding commitments on aid to developing countries. It should be recalled that at the recent FAO Regional Conference for Africa, delegates recommended seriously various measures designed to harness the potential resources of the region for the realisation of greater productivity of the agricultural sector. Accordingly, they gave greater priority to the need to contain problems of land utilization and conservation. To this end, the delegations emphasized the need for greater economic cooperation among the countries of the region. We look to FAO for a lead in the fulfilment of these objectives.
In the course of these proceedings, we will have occasion, to devote some time to the discussion of the Director-General's budget proposals. While I have the floor, do allow me to make a brief contribution to this important subject. In accordance with the priorities set out in that budget proposal, it would be a good start towards the achievement of the aims and objectives of the new International Economic Order. It is rightly indicated, for instance, that better utilization of the Secretariat's resources can be effected through reduction in documentation. The best example of this is the brevity of the present volume of the programme of Work and Budget. Equally it is proposed that staff travel should be objective oriented and this should result in more efficient allocation of the resources. The resulting saving should then widen the scope for the realization of the Organization's objective of decentralization.
We have come here in the past and voiced our concern about the bureaucratic nature of the FAO. I am pleased to note that under the new decentralization arrangements, FAO will be able to be directly involved in the country planning for development. It is with this view, that Kenya has welcomed the early establishment of a FAO's Country Office in Nairobi. We look forward to this continuation of the already excellent work going on in relations with that office.
The new Technical Cooperation Programme has only been in existance for a year. This was preceded by another year of planning. We therefore, have not had the benefit of the Programme's activities for a full biennium. This period would allow us time to assess the impact of the programme on the development projects in member states. At the same time, we would urge the Director-General to treat this programme as a regular feature of his budget presentation beyond the 1979 biennium.
My delegation therefore fully supports the areas selected for priority attention including reduction of post-harvest losses, a fight against tsetse and tick borne diseases, development of fisheries and forestry and the development of rural areas with particular emphasis on the assistance to smallholder farmers.
My delegation welcomes the proposals to combat post harvest losses as a. meaoaa of increasing food availability. We are, however, concerned that only grains and yams are given the prominence in the proposed budget, leaving out potatoes, fish and livestock products, which need to be given equal treatment and would like to draw the attention of the Director-General to this fact.
Let me now turn to the country whose problems I perhaps know better - i. e. KENYA.
We know that FAO's efforts in the field of development can only succeed if they are given full support by the national governments. With this in mind therefore, I would like to take a few moments to do a self-appraisal of my country's policies and strategies for agricultural development as part of our overall national development programme.
Kenya is among the most seriously affected countries by the energy crisis. Due to the subsequent drain on our foreign exchange reserves our government has had to adopt a policy of self-sufficiency in the supply of essential food commodities which were hitherto not produced in sufficient quantities to satisfy our domestic requirements.
Since 1973 we have invested substantial resources in the production and marketing of maize, wheat, sugar and cotton. I am glad to say that we are self sufficient in the supply of maize, with substantial surpluses, and by the middle of our next Five Year Development Plan (1979 - 1983), we plan to supply all our domestic requirements for wheat, sugar and cotton. We call upon the assistance of the FAO to combine the scarce resources we have with those that can be provided by or through the Organization in order to realize our goals.
Our current Five-Year Development Plan which is also our 3rd National Development Plan ends in the middle of 1978. The next Development Plan being worked out will continue to give even more emphasis on rural development with agriculture taking the lead in our overall economic development.
Kenya has adopted a programmatic approach to the planning "and programming for economic development, with the major objective of increasing rural incomes through employment generating programmes. All our present and future agricultural programmes therefore will have as their major objective to benefit the small scale farmers. We have somewhat successfully endeavoured through our pricing policies to provide incentives to our farmers, which have resulted in increasing and increased output for practically all the agricultural commodities produced in the country, whose treatment has been through incentive. Through the cooperative movement, the government tries to reach the farmers' needs by providing facilities, such as training credit, marketing, and storage to the rural communities. The organization and the strengthening of the cooperative movement in the country continues. The participation of the rural people in the planning implementation of rural programmes at the grassroot level is enhanced through the District Development Committees such as the Land Control Boards; the Cooperative Societies and Unions; and other informal fora like the Chief's Barazas - a baraza is a public meeting, a gathering where people, their leaders, and experts discuss matters of local or national interest.
In order to translate all the policies that have been outlined into practical terms, public expenditure on agriculture and related activities have been considerably increased. The development budgets of the Ministries of Agriculture and Water for instance have been increased by 26 percent and 105 percent, respectively.
In Kenya, Fishing industry is considered one of the important fields capable of providing the much needed food resources for the population, and also employment and income for the rural population. Artisanal fishermen landed a total of 41 021 metric tons of fish in 1976 an increase of over 33 percent over the previous year. Surveys have shown that Kenya has the potential to produce up to 80 000 tons per annum within the next three years. We are working towards this target.
In pursuance of this we have recently negotiated with the UNDP and the IBRD for a deep sea fishing vessel capable of exploiting the high seas, from the friendly country of the Netherlands. This vessel will form a milestone in our deep sea fisheries development, and we look forward to the further expansion of these activities. Through UNDP we are scheduled to start a coastal fisheries development project which will include the culture of the valuable prawns.
More assistance will however, be required in future, especially as the result of the extension of the exclusive economic zones of our coastal waters in line with the general development resulting from the United Nations Conference on the Laws of the Sea.
I said earlier that we welcome the policy of the Director-General of the decentralization of the Organization's activities, and particularly the activities of the subsidiary bodies. Committees and Commissions. My delegation therefore would like to see the fisheries activities in the Indian Ocean area put this policy into practice. In this respect, Kenya would suggest the transfer of the Secretariat of the Indian Ocean Fisheries Commission and the centre for the Indian 'ocean'Fishery Commission, to an Indian Ocean area. Kenya is prepared and offers to host the Secretariat for this Commission, as we have the necessary infrastructure. We stand squarely on the equator overlooking that great ocean of India. We are prepared to give every assistance necessary to this move. We do hope and look forward to this our offer receiving FAO's favourable consideration by this august body.
In the field of Forestry, Kenya has continued to make progress in the development of plantations using quick growing species and in making every effort to send its people to study forestry wherever opportunities occur and wherever opportunities are given. Planting programmes are based on studies to assess demand. We are now more than sufficient in industrial timber and we have entered the export market. The plantation programme has been accompanied by tree breeding to improve the quality of pre-seeds.
We have now embarked on rural afforestation of low lands and marginal areas with the assistance of NORAD NORAD of Norway and IDRC of Canada and we expect to extend this to more arid areas so as to assist in combating desertification and to provide fuel and building materials to the people who live in these seemingly dry areas.
The forest industry can considerably contribute to socio-economic development of the developing countries where considerable quantities of the world's timber resources are to be found. They can also help in the transfer of technology. We therefore urge that as much as possible processing of wood products should be carried out in the producer countries and in this respect we feel FAO and other agencies could play a part. We should also make sure that indiscriminate afforestation of lands with exotic species of trees does not take place for this could destroy undergrowth and certain indigenous trees which are necessary for maintance of water-sheds and catchment areas.
In summary therefore, we plan to develop our agriculture by employing strategies that will lead to increased yields, generate employment opportunities in rural areas where the majority of the people live, thereby effecting equitable income distribution for the benefit of our people. In all our efforts, we pledge our full cooperation with the FAO, both at the headquarters here and elsewhere in the regions and on the field.
Finally, Mr. Chairman, distinguished delegates, Kenya delegation takes this opportunity to congratulate the Director-General and his entire team once again for the Programme of Work and Budget which has been laid before the conference for consideration. We are in general agreement with the outline of policies and programmes. We will make appropriate detailed comments on the proposals during the proceedings of the relevant commission.
CHAIRMAN: I thank the delegate from Kenya and now welcome the delegate from New Zealand, H. E. Mr. Macintyre, the Minister of Agriculture.
D. MACINTYRE (New Zealand): Mr. Chairman, New Zealand congratulates you on your appointment as Chairman of this august meeting and we take pleasure in reminding ourselves of the cooperation that New Zealand has with your country in the exploitation of your geothermal energy capacity and also thank you for your announcement of the World Forestry Conference to take place in your country and we look forward to being there with you.
I have followed the work of FAO for many years but it was on reading the very lucid plan of work described by the Director-General in his programme for 1978/9 that I obtained a real insight into the farmers-level tasks that FAO is undertaking. As a farmer this is something I can understand and we in New Zealand support the Director-General in the emphasis he has placed on helping developing countries and believe that the ways and means of doing so should be even further strengthened.
For this reason I welcomed the invitation by the Director-General to give attention at this Conference to investment in agriculture at the national and international level.
Agriculture is, and for as far ahead as we can see will continue to be, the basis of New Zealand's economy. Over 70 percent of my country's export earnings come from the sale of agricultural products. We take a very keen interest in developments in agricultural production and marketing throughout the world.
Because of our agricultural and fishing background we also find ourselves in sympathy with many of the developing countries, which, not having deposits of mineral wealth or the capacity to produce manufactured goods to earn overseas exchange, are forced to rely on their agricultural sector to provide the means to develop other sectors of their economy. We know from our own experience the problems which these countries face in their efforts to increase agricultural production and to find markets. Not surprisingly development co-operation in the field of agriculture forms a significant part of New Zealand's development assitance programmes.
Within its total aid programme New Zealand devotes over one quarter of its efforts to projects directly concerned with agricultural productivity, while a further one quarter is committed to assitance in the area of rural infrastructures. This concentration reflects the priority of the Governments of the South Pacific and South East Asia which are New Zealand's principal aid partners. And here I would like to say that we welcome the increased attention that FAO is paying to the South Pacific. The requirements and needs of these Island countries are not so great as to be a burden on the FAO but on the other hand they are real and urgent and must not be neglected.
New Zealand does not produce the large quantities of wheat and grain that would enable us to play a leading role as a disburser of food aid. What we do claim is expertise in cost-efficient animal protein production, based upon the growing of grasses. In this field we find ourselves able to offer constructive assistance to developing countries.
My government has been interested therefore to study the short and medium term objectives of the FAO programme of work put before this conference by the Director-General, At the core of the major programme is the aim of increasing agricultural production. We are heartened to find that one rule which New Zealand has sought to apply to its own aid activities is reflected in this programme. The assertion that livestock production will have to rise even faster than crop production is too often overlooked. Our current aid programme lays emphasis on helping developing countries in the Pacific basin to improve the health of their herds and flocks, because one of the most important aspects of increasing animal production is keeping them free of diseases and parasites. This is an aspect of livestock farming to which we have devoted particular attention in training programmes for people from developing countries. A notable recent development in this field is a joint New Zealand-Asian animal health project. This approach reflects what has been New Zealand's contention for many years and which I think we are all now agreed on that the training of people to grow their own food is more important in the long run than simply giving them aid in the form of food. Mr. Young of the United States quoted the old Chinese proverb in his McDougall oration which said the same thing better.
Developed countries have been asked to stimulate this sort of reliance by investment. Investment in the form of capital and technical assistance is only part of the solution. We must also invest in people. New Zealand accepts that the training of people to increase agricultural production must be a key element of any international strategy realated to food security and economic growth through agricultural exports.
It is necessary to be programatic about such investments, if we are to avoid the creation of unworkable systems and inappropriate technologies. The expertise New Zealand has accumulated in agriculture is eminently suited to the development of low-cost animal production systems. In the case of sub-tropical or arid zone agriculture the New Zealand model p. s less immediately relevant but there are certain basic principles of animal and plant production which are universally applicable. I am thinking of animal health, quality seed production and adequate seed certification systems amongst others. The communication of ideas and experience in these fields can only be of benefit to both developed and developing countries. We have recently opened a centre devoted to seed technology at one of our agricultural universities. We believe that specialists from developing countries who come to this centre will find elements in New Zealand's approach to seed production and certification which can be applied in their own national agencies and programmes. It is this sort of productive co-operation which will prepare both North and South for the challenges of feeding the world in the last quarter of this century.
The New Zealand government fully supports. such co-operation and maintains its commitment to attaining the internationally-accepted target of 0. 7 percent of GNP for official development transfers. It has not been easy for us to hold to this commitment in recent years. The resources which New Zealand has available for development co-operation activities have been eroded steadily since 1974 by falling prices for our agricultural exports on international markets. There has been a 40 percent down-turn in New Zealand's terms of trade since 1974. This trend has reinforced our awareness of the fragile nature of an economy which is heavily reliant on a narrow range of agricultural exports, in contrast to the more broadly-based economies of other developed countries, and I know that I speak for many countries who suffer the same problem.
Many of our principal aid partners face similar problems and we accept a continuing obligation to try to help them. New Zealand's development assistance programmes are concentrated, for reasons of history and geography, on the countries of the Pacific basin, especially those of the South Pacific. At the same time we have striven to maintain co-operative links with developing countries in other regions, as evidence of our sympathetic support for their economic and social aspirations.
Their problems are indeed immense. If the growth trends of the first half of the 1970's continue unchanged, the developing countries could well have an annual deficit in cereals alone of 100 million toils a year by 1985. For these reasons New Zealand joined Australia and the Netherlands in sponsoring the resolution calling for the creation of the international fund for agricultural development at the world food conference in Rome in 1974.
We look forward to the contribution which IFAD will make. IFAD is well equipped to strike directly at the heart of perhaps the most crucial element in the world food situation the slow growth rate of food production in many developing countries. Of course the fund can only be as strong as its executing agencies. The World Food Conference resolution in which the fund has its origin stipulated that actual disbursement of the grants and concessional loans it would make available should be carried out through existing international and regional institutions. There is an important role here for FAO and we hope that the agreement between IFAD and FAO which will regulate their relationship will be the source of a productive partnership.
The responsibility is an onerous one. I am encouraged, however, by the way in which FAO is preparing itself to meet the challenge which the effective discharge of that responsibility represents. FAO field experts, in particular, will play a vital role in ensuring that the financial resources of the fund are translated into the simple tools, the improved seeds, and the very basic instruction in unsophisticated agricultural techniques which the developing country farmer needs if he is to increase his production of the staples on which he depends. For if New Zealand has learnt anything from its efforts to help others it is that the simplest things often work best.
I would mention that New Zealand has operated successfully for many years a scheme called volunteer service abroad which sends young and old but skilled persons to help at the village level and to introduce simple but practical innovations and techniques. Ambassador Young spoke of a similar scheme in his address on Monday and I would join him in asking that thorough consideration be given to the idea of the "Food Corps".
New Zealand applauds, the action-oriented approach evident in present FAO planning and will support the redirection of available resources in future also to field activities, to the extent that this does not detract from the maintenance of an efficient technical and administrative back-up at headquarters. The FAO strategy is well suited to the task of bridging the gap between the international organization, where the financial resources required for development are available, and the farmer in the field in developing countries for whose needs these funds have been created. What is needed now is the political will to make it work.
New Zealand will play its part. We have shown our willingness to help by co-sponsoring and ratifying the agreement for the establishment of IFAD and by making available, through multilateral and bilateral channels, money and other resources needed for agricultural development in many developing countries. It is our sincere hope that the World Food Council and this Conference will provide the necessary political direction and that national development planners will focus their efforts on projects designed to raise production and living standards in the areas of greatest need in their countries, using all the resources available on land and in the sea. New Zealand acknowledges the very real progress made since the 1974 World Food Conference but we believe the greatest part of our work has yet to be carried out. I wish your deliberations success in that direction.
I. KUSTRAK (Yugoslavia) (interpretation from Serbo-Croat): On behalf of my Government and in my own name, I should like to join in congratulating you, Mr. President, and the Vice-Presidents and other officials of this Conference on your election. I should also like to address the representatives of Angola, the Comoros, the Peoples' Democratic Republic of Korea, Djibouti, Mozambique, Namibia, Sao Tomé and Principe and the Seychelles and voice our pleasure that they are with us here and our conviction that their presence will serve to strengthen our Organization.
Today's world food situation is quite different from what we had to contend with three years ago when the world food crisis was at its peak and when we gathered here in Rome at the World Food Conference. The last two harvests have been generally plentiful. The world's grain stocks, which for so long were low and the cause of concern, have today been appreciably increased and have reached a point which offers minimum world food security. Grain prices in international trade have dropped, in real terms, to even below the level of the late sixties, as have the prices of leading agricultural inputs, and soon. In short, the spectre of world-wide famine no, longer directly haunts us and this is certainly encouraging. Yet our recent experience compels us to ask ourselves to what extent we have managed to eliminate the risks of new crises and, still more important, to what degree the basic messages of the World Conference, according to which a marked acceleration in the development of food production in the developing countries is the only lasting solution to the world food problem, have been carried out.
I am sure you will agree that the present-day situation in many ways resembles that which prevailed before the crisis broke out. High stocks and low prices have made the principal grain producers of the advanced world resort to measures which restrict production. The idea, of course, is to achieve a price level which ensures the interest of producers and thereby eliminates the danger of a sudden drop in production. This is not the place to discuss how real the danger is of a drop in production as a result of low prices. But there is another danger we know only too well: a reduction in production and stocks with extremely inelastic demands threatens to turn the small disequilibrium in supplies into a new crisis, with all the consequences we have recently had to bear. Admittedly, today we are all the richer for having gone through, this painful experience, but the question remains as to whether this means that we will be spared new such tribulations. In my opinion, the present situation makes the international undertaking on world food security still more relevant and urgent. Here I believe it especially important to conclude a valid international grain agreement, which would embrace specific provisions for the developing countries, by the middle of next year.
To return to the second question, I think that no-one denies that all the changes in the international food situation have chiefly occurred in the developed world. The developing countries still stand on the margin, deprived of the possibility, despite all their efforts, of appreciably improving their own food situation. The exceedingly unsatisfactory progress being made in establishing a new international economic order and the mechanisms preserved from the old system have led to a deterioration in the developing countries Over-all economic position. This is reflected in their steadily declining position in international trade, including the exchange of agricultural commodities, in their rising debts, in the unsatisfactory level of development assistance, etc. Of course, agriculture and food could not be an exception to the rule, and this is why unsatisfactory progress has been made in implementing the decisions and recommendations of the World Food Conference. The ultimate result is a continuation, of negative trends from the past, the fact that food production in the developing countries barely keeps abreast of population growth, the fact that the vast majority of these countries still have to contend with looming food deficits and that today, in 1977/1978, these countries, to quote an OECD document, have a per capita grain production which is very close to what they had at the turn of the decade. All that I have just mentioned can been seen from document C77/20 on Progress of International Agriculture Adjustment. Consequently, it is our belief, that we have no cause for self-satisfaction. We have no real reason to believe that the risk of a new world-wide food crisis has been appreciably reduced, and we have still less reason to be satisfied with the progress made in carrying out what we agreed on three years ago. There are only two things here which offer some encouragement. The first is the pending opening of the International Fund for Agricultural Development and the second is certain"progress at the Third Session of the World Food Council. Now, when the Manila Communique is backed by the authority of the United Nations General Assembly, we can only believe that history will not repeat itself, that the recommendations will be translated into practice and that this will put an end to the standstill in implementing the decisions of the World Food Conference. Hence, I propose that the Conference should extend full support to the Manila Communiqué. and underline the special need for our Organization fully to commit itself in carrying out the adopted recommendations.
I think it is clear from what I have said that my delegation is pleased that technical cooperation amongst the developing countries in agriculture and food has been included as a special item on the Conference agenda. I, should like to recall that the Fifth Non-Aligned Summit Conference extended full support to the concept of non-aligned and developing countries' co-operation in the field of food and defined the thrusts of action to be taken. My Government not only supports this orientation but also Is working to expand and strengthen co-operation between our own institutions and the institutions of other developing countries. I am pleased to be able to note that here we have scored success. The number of standing arrangements between our own institutions and those of the developing countries is growing with each passing day, the exchange of experts is on the upgrade, the number of students from the developing countries at our universities is rising, etc., and I do not think that all possibilities here have been tapped. On the contrary, we shall expand all mutually beneficial forms of co-operation. Nevertheless, the efforts being made by our own and other developing countries could be greatly enhanced by co-operation with and the support of such an unquestionably competent Organization as FAO. Consequently I should like to extend full support to the Director-General's determination to have FAO far more comprehensively engaged in stimulating co-operation among the developing countries. I expect Commission II to conduct a comprehensive debate on this question which would, inter alia, contribute to the success of the UN Conference scheduled for next year in Buenos Aires.
Now permit me to speak about the tasks facing our Organization.
The tasks for which FAO was founded over 30 years ago and which are its basic objectives remain essentially unchanged, but the milieu in which FAO works today has radically altered and will continue to do so. The most important change is certainly in the developing countries' ever-growing ability rationally to define their own development programmes and their growing reliance on their inherent resources and potentials. This calls for a steady evolution in FAO policy and methods. I think there is no question that efforts should be steered towards FAO's speedier and more complete incorporation in the developing countries' development strategy and programmes, and hence towards FAO's growing reliance on these countries’ national and regional institutions. This, however, calls for a substantial correction and considerably greater flexibility of methods.
Another major challenge stems from the fact that we have seen, especially of late, the burgeoning of several international bodies and institutions for agriculture and food both within and outside the UN system. It is our belief that this, does nothing to decrease the importance of our own Organization. On the contrary, FAO has been and should remain the mainstay of the international institutional system in the field of agriculture and food. And when I say this I have two, in our opinion, basic components of FAO's mission in mind. The first is that FAO should make a decisive contribution to building up an international agriculture and food policy, and the second is that in ever-closer co-operation among its members, especially the developing countries, it should define and implement concrete development programmes. Close cooperation with other international and bilateral institutions, of course, is of vital importance here.
I felt it necessary to give a rough outline of my Government's. views of FAO's mission and tasks. I hope this will help to more clearly define my delegation's stands on many of the proposals before us.
Before presenting my delegation's stands on the Programme of Work and Budget, I should like to stress that Yugoslavia extended full support in the Council to the Director-General's proposals made on the basis of the mandate given him at the last Conference. We especially supported an orientation towards a radical reduction in "new" staff, the establishment of a proper balance between programmes calculated to extend direct support to the development of the developing countries and "general" programmes, and within this context to the strengthening of the Investment Centre, a cutback in expenses for meetings, publications and documentation, and so on. We wholeheartedly supported the setting up of the Technical Cooperation Programme, which, in our opinion, introduces that all too needed flexibility into the organisation's regular programme and thereby marks a new dimension in FAO's method of work. And finally, we supported the founding of FAO country offices in the developing. countries as a first step in decentralizing its activities. I mention all this not only so as to brief you, Mr. Chairman, and through you, the esteemed delegates, but especially because the Programme of Work and Budget for the coming two-year period bears all the essential traits of a new orientation which we have wholeheartedly supported. Consequently, our attitude to the Programme of Work and Budget has been determined by our general stand hitherto.
I believe that the scope of the programme and the subsequent level of the budget are the result of a careful study of today's needs and possibilities. The Director-General proposed a modest increase in the Programme and Budget, in real terms - an increase which actually stems from decisions already passed by the Council. My delegation agrees with this orientation in the conviction that content. is still a more important question than volume in the programme. In other words, I am pleased with the progress made in the programme's content, but I think further progress can be made here by eliminating or reducing lower priority activities. I am also extremely pleased with the new format of the Programme, which for the first time provides an integral picture of all the Organization's activities and thus gives clearer insight into the interdependence of the Regular Programme and non-budgetary activities. This allows me shortly to dwell on only a few of the programmes, those which in our opinion are of outstanding importance.
The programme for launching a broad-based action to Cut back harvest and post-harvest losses, in our opinion, assumes first-rate priority. Consequently, I should like to extend full support to the proposal for forming a Special Fund, including that part of the proposal which refers to using part of the Suspense Account. There is no need to underline the importance of advancing the quality of seeds for developing food production. My own country's experience here is most instructive. Therefore I should like, to recall the recommendation of the Third Session of the World Food Council, which has already become a General Assembly recommendation on the need to set up a special fund of 20 million dollars within FAO to launch a broad-based drive in advancing the quality of seeds in the developing countries. I propose, that the Conference fully support this recommendation and that it charge the Director-General with drawing up a draft programme, conducting the necessary consultations and that it appeal to potential donors to help implement the recommendations of the World Food Council and the General Assembly.
It is our firm conviction that the Agriculture Towards 2000 Programme also ranks among one of our priority considerations, for the reasons I have already brought out, that is that FAO should, in our opinion, make a decisive contribution to the building up of a world food policy. This programme is not just an essential component of the UN Third Development Decade Programme; it is also imperative for a critical evaluation of the development lines and priorities within FAO itself. Consequently, my delegation believes that this task should be properly done and it extends full support to the Agriculture Towards 2000 Programme.
I have already indirectly presented my delegation's stand on the Technical Cooperation Programme. I should like to recall that at the previous Conference I proposed the setting-up of such a programme, which, as I stressed then, ensures FAO of the necessary flexibility and hence enjoys our wholehearted support.
As I said, I have set forth our stand on only those programmes which in our opinion merit special attention. I should like to reiterate, however, that my delegation supports the Programme of Work and Budget for 1978-79 in toto, In the conviction that the Programme 'fully reflects the new orientation adopted in FAO's work, which has been proposed by the Director-General and which was wholeheartedly supported by my Government. Here, I am also thinking, of a certain rise in the budget as subsequently proposed by the Director-General. My Government attaches importance to the World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development, where Yugoslav representatives will take an active part, and consequeatly, I believe that the proposed budget increase is essential for successfully preparing that Conference.
In conclusion, allow me to dwell very briefly on agricultural production in my own country. I am pleased to be able to say that the efforts being made by ay country in developing agriculture have produced the expected results. The growth of food production continues even more rapidly than planned. This year we hit a new record in grain production and in agricultural production as a whole. As at the last Conference, I regret to have to close my speech by noting that our results would be far better if we did not have to contend with the tremendous obstacles imposed on our exports to what, for us, are traditional markets.
J. P. SILVA (Cap-Vert): Permettez-moi d'abord. de vous féliciter pour votre élection à la présidence de cette dix-neuvième session de la Conférence de la FAO. Je voudrais également présenter mes vives et fraternelles félicitations aux nouveaux membres qui viennent d'être admis dans notre Organisation, parmi lesquels, le Mozambique, l'Angola et Sao Tomé. Ce sont des pays qui entretiennent avec la République du Cap-Vert des relations spéciales d'amitié et de coopération.
Il y a précisément deux années que le Cap-Vert a été admis comme membre effectif de la FAO, lors dela dix-huitième session de la Conférence qui s'est tenue en novembre 1975, c'est-à-dire aussitôtaprès son accession à l'indépendance nationale.
Pendant ces deux années et demie de son existence en tant que pays indépendant, le Cap-Vert, en dépit de l'héritage colonial et d'une nature hostile, a réalisé de grands efforts dans le chemin de la création des bases essentielles pour le développement de son agriculture, source de travail et base de la vie pour la plus grande partie de sa population. Le développement de l'agriculture cap-verdienne est assez complexe et oblige â des investissements considérables et à recherche de la technologie moderne la plus adaptée. La limitation et le caractère aléatoire, des cultures pluviales nous amènent à opter pour l'irrigation comme la solution la plus correcte du problème alimentaire. Il en résulte que dans le secteur agricole nos priorités vont à la recherche et à la mise en valeur des ressources hydriques tant souterraines que superficielles. Notre objectif est d'augmenter le plus possible les ressources hydriques disponibles, les surfaces irriguées, ce qui nous permettrait, nous en sommes sûrs, de résoudre une partie importante de nos problèmes d'emploi, d'améliorer sensiblement la situation alimentaire de notre peuple et d'atténuer considérablement notre dépendance à l'égard de l'extérieur.
La conduite d'une telle politique implique un effort énorme de conservation et restauration des ressources sol et eau, ce qui suppose la création d'un ensemble structurel mécanique, biologique capable d'atténuer l'impétuosité de l'écoulement des eaux pluviales et l'entraînement des terres arables vers la mer.
Cet effort est témoigné par les milliers de digues en pierre construites pendant ces deux dernières années, par des milliers et des milliers d'essences plantées, etc.
Cet effort a été possible, en premier lieu, par la détermination du peuple cap-verdien et, en second lieu, par une aide internationale remarquable. Mais cela ne suffit pas. Quand on parle d'amélioration de la diète alimentaire de la population, de diminution de notre dépendance à l'égard de l'extérieur, de résolution de nos problèmes d'emploi, nous sommes obligés de parler de peche. Pour un pays comme le Cap-Vert, archipel situé dans une zone des plus poissonneuses de l'Atlantique, l'exploitation de ses ressources marines est fondamentale pour son développement économique.
Par ailleurs, l'expansion de la pêche artisanale en particulier, pourra, à terme, soulager la pression démographique qui s'exerce à l'heure actuelle sur le milieu rural, sujet comme l'on sait aux caprices de la pluviométrie.
Cependant, des limitations d'ordre technique, financier et institutionnel se posent, freinant le développement de ce secteur de notre économie.
L'évolution qui se dessine au niveau du droit de la mer permet d'espérer des retombées positives pour les pays en développement, notamment dans la réduction de leurs dépendances alimentaires. Ceci, bien sûr, à condition que leur soit accordé un support technique leur permettant d'exploiter rationnellement les zones économiques exclusives.
Le développement de ces deux secteurs, l'agriculture et la pêche, pose des problèmes assez complexes et nous pensons qu'il y est réservé à la FAO un rôle assez important. Il importe alors que la phase d'identification et de réalisation de projets isolés cède la place à la conception et a la réalisation de projets intégrés regroupant des domaines spécifiques, en maintenant et en renforçant les actions ponctuelles pour la réponse immédiate à certains problèmes urgents, la non-solutionnes quels catravant le bon déroulement des programmes de développant. Tout cela exige des moyens financiers considérables, mais aussi une capacité d'intervention rapide et souple. Dans ce domaine, le PCT peut jouer un role important, raison pour laquelle noue pensons qu'il doit être soutenu et renforcé.
Nous nous rejouissons que la FAO essaye de trouver les moyens et les solutions les plus adéquats pour répondre aux problèmes auxquels elle est confrontée. Dans ce sens nous appuyons les propositions contenues dans le programme de travail proposé par le Directeur général. En cherchant les voies et les moyens d'une action plus rapide et plus efficace, nous sommes persuadés que la FAO sera d'autant plus apte à préserver l'humanité du spectre de la famine et de la misère.
Le Cap-Vert a déjà un important programme de coopération avec la FAO et nous pouvons dire que, malgré les difficultés, malgré les retards parfois, cette aide a été pour nous d'une très grande importance.
Nous nous félicitons de l'assistance que la FAO a dispensée au Cap-Vert et demandons ici que cette assistance soit renforcée pour répondre valablement aux réels besoins de notre pays.
Dans notre pays nous continuons à développer des efforts pour une utilisation le plus rationnelle possible des ressources disponibles sur place et de celles qui sont mises à notre disposition. Notre peuple a compris la nécessité d'oeuvrer pour combattre le sous-développement^ comme le témoignent les travaux réalisés en si peu de temps.
Malheureusement l'aggravation de la situation de sécheresse que connaît notre pays oblige le gouvernement à une dispersion des efforts dans des multiples tâches d'émergence et entrave également les programmes établis visant l'augmentation de la production dans les secteurs de l'agriculture et de la pêche.
Monsieur le Président,
Comme il est de votre connaissance, le Cap-Vert connaît sa neuvième année de sécheresse consécutive. En effet la sécheresse nous frappe encore une fois cette année et avec une intensité dont on n'a pas mémoire dans le pays.
La pluviométrie cette année a été extrêmement faible, voire nulle dans la plupart des régions du pays. Là où de rares pluies ont été enregistrées, elles sont arrivées en retard et sont tombées dans un espace de temps trop court, compris entre 2 et 3 jours.
Les statistiques comparées de la pluviométrie que nous avons pu élaborer montrent que les pluies tombées, cette année peuvent être considérées comme les plus basses valeurs observées jusqu'à présent. Elles ne representent en fait qu'environ 5 pour cent de la moyenne des pluies enregistrées ces dernières décennies.
Il en résulte que dans la plus grande partie de la surface cultivée la germination des semences n'a même pas eu lieu; dans les rares zones où l'humidité a été suffisante pour la germination, les plantes sont mortes, faute d'une continuité des chutes de pluies. Dans ces conditions, la production peut être considérée comme nulle pour ce qui. concerne les cultures pluviales.
De ce fait, l'on doit s'attendre pour la campagne 1977/78 à un énorme déficit pour ce qui concerne les céréales, ce qui vient aggraver la situation nutritionnelle de la population déjà assez carencée.
Une influence négative est déjà ressentie également dans la production en irrigué, qui constitue tradi-tionnellement le principal et le plus sur pilier de l'agriculture cap-verdienne. Nous constatons déjà une régression du périmètre irrigué du fait de la réduction des débits puisqu' il n'y a pas eu de recharge des nappes phréatiques; nous craignons que cela ne remette en cause les efforts développés pendant ces deux années d'indépendance, dans le sens d'une extension autant que possible des surfaces irrigées.
En outre, mon Gouvernement est assez préoccupé sur la situation du bétail. La production fourragère a été pratiquement nulle cette année, à tel point que le paysan, pris de panique, a commencé à vendre en masse ses animaux pour des sommes dérisoires. Ceci a obligé le Gouvernement à prendre des mesures visant la protection du paysan et aussi la sauvegarde du bétail, de façon à conserver un stock minimum pour permettre une reconstitution future.
De même, nos objectifs dans le domaine de la reforestation risquent d'être sérieusement entravés, les chutes pluviométriques n'ayant pas été suffisantes pour permettre la fixation des espèces existant dans les pépinières. Dans ces conditionS, point n'est besoin de dire que la constitution d'une réserve de sécurité n'a pas été possible. Une aide alimentaire substantielle nous sera sans doute nécessaire. A cela s'ajoute le problème du manque de structures de stockage et de conservation. Les efforts ont été développés dans ce secteur, mais nous sommes encore bien en dessous des nécessités minimales. Pour la mise en oeuvre du programme établi, des moyens financiers et techniques sont Indispensables. A cet égard nous saluons vivement les bonnes persnectiyes de cerération qui s'ouvrent avec la FAO dans cet important domaine.
Cette année supplémentaire de sécheresse marque cruellement la situation socio-économique du pays. Il faut seulement avoir à l'esprit que l'agriculture, malgré sa vulnérabilité, est le principal support de l'économie cap-verdienne.
Au niveau de nos échanges avec l'extérieur, il est à prévoir une aggravation du déséquilibre de notre balance commerciale par un recours accru à l'importation de denrées alimentaires, qui ont représenté ces dernières années environ 40 pour cent des importations globales du pays.
Au niveau de la population, les conséquences de la sécheresse sont encore plus terribles; l'on notera entre autres:
Un effet de découragement au sein des paysans qui voient chaque année, et cela depuis neuf ans, anéantis leurs espoirs d'une bonne récolte;
La dégradation de l'état nutritionnel de la population;
Une recrudescence du mouvement migratoire vers les centres populationnels dans l'espoir de garantir un moyen de subsistance, aussi bien que de l'émigration vers l'extérieur du pays qui nous prive chaque année des éléments les plus aptes de la population.
Mais c'est dans le domaine de l'emploi que les problèmes se posent avec plus d' acuité. 91 pour cent de la population active se trouve employés dans le secteur primaire. L'on comprend alors l'existence d'une grande masse de main-d'oeuvre libérée par le manque de pluies et qui est réduite au chômage. C'est une situation particulièrement difficile et à laquelle il faut apporter des mesures assez urgentes.
Pour faire face à la situation découlant de la poursuite de la sécheresse, le Gouvernement a jugé bon d'envisager et mettre en pratique un certain nombre d'actions immédiates et à court terme.
Il a été élaboré un programme de travaux à haute intensité de main-d'oeuvre, appelé Programme d'émergence. L'objet de ce programme est non seulement d'absorber une bonne partie de la population sans emploi mais aussi de couvrir le déficit alimentaire et de combattre la sécheresse par la création de structures appropriées. Ainsi il est prévu d'employer environ 17 000 personnes dans des travaux de conservation des sols et des eaux, de mise en valeur et d'extension de périmètres irrigués, de reforestation, de construction de magasins pour le stockage alimentaire et de certaines routes nécessaires au déseac lavement de régions à vocation agricole, etc. Le coût du programme est d'environ 10 millions de dollars, non inclus les équipements, que nous espérons voir être couverts pour une bonne partie grâce à la solidarité internationale.
Parallèlement, un programme de sauvetage du cheptel a été établi dont l'objectif final est le main-, tien d'un stock minimum. Plusieurs mesures y sont préconisées telles que la sensibilisation des éleveurs afin qu'ils maintiennent un certain nombre de têtes, l'achat à un prix juste, la sélection et la concentration des animaux en des points choisis afin de faciliter les distributions d'aliments et l'abreu-vage.
Il s'agit ici de mesures à court terme pour faire face à une situation qualifiée d'émergence. Ces mesures ne constituent donc qu'un complément nécessaire des efforts du Gouvernement et du peuple cap-verdien, car, comme chacun le sait, les problèmes de développement ne sont envisageables qu'à long terme.
C'étaient là quelques propos que je voulais adresser à cette illustre assemblée, et je vous remercie de votre attention.
The meeting rose à 12. 55 hours.
La séance est levée à 12 h 557
Se levanta la sesión a las 12. 55 horas.
