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FAO warns

against spread

of veterinary

diseases

ISLAMABAD: The United Nations food agency, FAO, on Friday warned against spread of serious veterinary diseases in Afghanistan and regional countries including Pakistan if international community failed to provide additional funds for FAO livestock programme in the war-ravaged country.

"We have contained these diseases in Afghanistan. But they can multiply and may spread to other countries including Pakistan if this programme is not sustained due to lack of funds," Terence Barker, programme manager, FAO livestock programme told reporters.

He specifically mentioned endemic, like Rinderpest and PPR, which posed serious threat to livestock in Afghanistan.

"We are in a critical situation as far as funds for our programme are concerned," he said and added FAO programme for Afghanistan would be running out of funds by June 30 this year.

Knut Ostby, senior deputy resident representative of UN Afghanistan, said, "we have to restrict our programme to minimum level in case additional funds do not trickle in."

However, he said, there were positive signals from some of the donors for the additional funding.

Responding to a question, he said, some 10 million dollars worth additional funds were required to sustain UN FAO livestock and crop programmes per year.

When asked about the attitude of Taliban authorities towards FAO programme, Barker said the Afghan officials had themselves approached FAO to open women-run veterinary clinics.

However, he said the veterinary services including those run by women were being undermined due to lack of funding.

He said FAO livestock veterinary field units had been set up in all Afghan provinces.

Hans C. Brink, programme manager, FAO Crops said in 1978, Afghanistan produced enough food to feed its 14 million population. With FAO assistance, he said, 10,000 tonnes of improved seed were produced annually in Afghanistan.

This, he said, included 6,000 tonnes wheat seed, which cost 3.4 million dollars if bought from Pakistan. He said the wheat seed could yield 108,000 tonnes of wheat per year valuing at 20 million dollars.

FAO, he said, also sponsored commercial production of fruit and nut saplings in 200 nurseries in 20 provinces.ÑAPP