Friday
3rd May 2024
Dhivehi Edition
Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Welfare
UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) APRC Meeting Attended by Minister Dr. Rameela
Agriculture Minister Dr. Aishath Rameela attends a meeting. | Photo: Agriculture Ministry
The 37th Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific (APRC) of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) was held in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
This year’s conference was held from the 19th to the 22nd of this month.
This year's APRC meeting was inaugurated by Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe. The conference was attended by the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Dr. Aishath Rameela.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, a senior officers meeting was held virtually from January 31st to February 2nd, prior to the ministerial meeting of the conference.
The senior officers meeting was attended by officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock and the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources.
The meeting discussed extensively the food and agricultural development challenges in the Asia Pacific region and the steps that countries can take together at the regional level to improve food security and nutrition in the region, increase agricultural productivity, and nurture sustainable economic development.
During the meeting, Dr. Aishath Rameela participated as a panelist in the Special Ministerial Session on Small Island Developing States (SIDS), Least Developed Countries (LCD) and Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDC), according to the Agriculture Ministry.
The Minister discussed the challenges and measures to be taken to establish food security due to environmental problems faced by small developing countries, such as Maldives, and the lack of adequate resources.
Meanwhile, on the 20th of this month, Minister Dr. Aishath Rameela, as the highest authority representing the Maldives Ministry of Agriculture, gave a 'Country Statement' on the situation of agriculture and fisheries in Maldives.
The Ministry said the Minister's statement highlighted the challenges facing the development of agriculture, fisheries and mariculture, and the President's efforts to improve the food security and nutrition situation in Maldives. She also highlighted the efforts being made to implement the policies of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, and the cooperation and assistance of regional countries needed for the development of agriculture, fisheries and mariculture sectors.
This was the largest conference on food and agriculture in the Asia Pacific region, held every two years, and is scheduled to be held in Pakistan in 2026.