Relief Web - The Government of Japan has decided to provide a total of 420 million yen for two projects of Grant Assistance for Underprivileged Farmers through the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Notes to this effect were exchanged on July 31 between Mr. Yuji Nakamura, Japanese Ambassador to Italy, and Mr. David Harcharik, Deputy Director-General of FAO in Rome.

(1) Agriculture Revitalization Action Project in the Palestinian territories (190 million yen)
(2) Emergency Response to Control a Desert Locust Outbreak in the Republic of Yemen and Surrounding Countries (230 million yen)
Outline of each project is as follows:
(1) Agriculture Revitalization Action Project in the Palestinian territories
(a) Contents of the project
Promoting the improvement of living standards and economic development in agricultural regions of the Palestinian territories
- Complementation, strengthening, and expansion of the 'The Horticulture Rehabilitation in the West Bank' which is currently being implemented
- Promoting efficient use of water resources by building water collection cisterns and water reservoirs
- Improving necessary infrastructure for small ruminants and horticulture, including rebuilding of ruminant sheds and wells, setting up of orchards demonstration plots
- Training farmers and their organizations that deal with agriculture, small ruminants and marketing
(b) Necessity of this project
- Agriculture is one of the main industries for economic and social lives of habitants in the Palestinian territories. However, agricultural productivity and opportunities for employment have been undermined by damaged and abandoned farmlands caused by conflicts and infighting and the hampered circulation of people and materials.
- To improve such a situation, the FAO formulated the projects to revitalize agriculture in the Palestinian territories, and asked the Government of Japan for assistance.
(c) Effect of the projects
- Income creation and improving the living standards of 2,020 impoverished households of small and middle sized farmers, about 12,000 people, in the targeted region
- Improving agricultural productivity and contributing to economic improvement throughout the targeted region
(2) Emergency Response to Control a Desert Locust Outbreak in the Republic of Yemen and Surrounding Countries
(a) Contents of this project
Improving and strengthening the rapid response capacity for desert locusts in the Republic of Yemen, the State of Eritrea, the Republic of the Sudan, and the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, which are seriously threatened by this outbreak
- Enabling to prevent damage from desert locusts (providing training and regional workshops concerned with survey, management, and the handling of pesticide for staff from agricultural departments of each country)
- Establishing national teams which monitor the use of pesticide
- Providing pesticide sprayers, protective clothes, and equipments concerned with controlling desert locusts including various survey equipments
- Establishing facilities to collect and dispose empty pesticide containers
(b) Necessity of this project
- An outbreak of desert locusts in Eritrea due to unusually heavy rainfall since the beginning of 2007 in coastal states of the Red Sea and the Arabian Peninsula also expanded to Sudan. It is anticipated that desert locusts which have passed through controlling nets will move and increase in number in the future since control activities have been undermined by the lack of machines and facilities.
- An unusually wide-ranging outbreak of desert locusts was also recognized in Yemen. It is a serious concern that the damage by desert locusts might expand to neighboring countries such as Eritrea, Sudan, and Ethiopia.
- To improve such a situation, the FAO formulated projects to improve and strengthen the rapid response capacity for desert locusts in Yemen, Eritrea, Sudan, and Ethiopia, and asked the Government of Japan for assistance.
(c) Effect of this project
- Improving and strengthening the ability to control desert locusts in the targeted areas
- Spreading and expanding training in desert locusts control in official agricultural departments in the targeted countries
- Establishing safe-disposing facilities for pesticide containers in the targeted countries
- Recovering agricultural productivity in the region affected by desert locusts

Source: Relief Web