18 -
87.
FAO collaborated in two training courses organized by the UN Statistical Institute for Asia (SIAP) and by the Munich Centre for Advance Training in which 16 and 21 participants from the Region respectively attended. As part of the latter course a one-week workshop was conducted at FAO Headquarters. FAO also collaborated with ESCAP in conducting two seminars on preparation of agricultural censuses and national agricultural statistical services.
Global Information and Early Warning System
88.
The FAO Global Information and Early Warning System on Food and Agriculture (GIEWS) has continued to monitor crop conditions, production prospects and the food supply situation throughout the region and to alert the international community whenever countries are threatened by shortages or surplus of food. Thus, "special alerts" were telexed to governments and international aid agencies on the deterioration of the food supply position in Pakistan in January 1988, Viet Nam in May 1988, Bangladesh in September 1988, and Sri Lanka in March 1989. Governments of the region continue to receive FAO's monthly reports "Food Outlook" and "Food crops and Shortages" to keep them informed of the crop and food supply position in individual countries as well as the prospects for global production and stocks and international prices of cereals. During the biennium the System's monitoring and reporting of the southwest monsoon has been intensified.
VIII. FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL POLICY
89.
The emerging relevance of macroeconomic adjustment, stabilization and market reforms to agricultural development led to a surge in request for assistance in policy analysis and advice. Six selected country case studies on implementation and administration of agricultural price policies were carried out and a two-volume report published. Two FAO Economic and Social Development papers, "Implementation and Administration of Agricultural Price Policy in Asia" and "Small Farmer Development in Asia and the Pacific: Some Lessons for Strategy Formulation and Planning" were published. Under field programme activities, agriculture sector and policy review missions visited Bangladesh, Bhutan, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia and Viet Nam to analyse impacts of alternative policy options and provide guidance in adapting liberalized market-oriented policies for increasing food and agricultural production. Assistance in agricultural planning was given to India, Malaysia, Maldives, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Viet Nam and the ASEAN countries in strengthening their analytical capability, preparing agriculture sector models, decentralized planning and formulating agricultural development plans. Training programme for strengthening national trained manpower and institutions in agriculture planning and rural development were also carried out in member countries.
90.
National In-Service Training Programmes were conducted in India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Thailand. A demonstration workshop on the Use of FAO-Developed CAPPA (Computer Package for Agriculture Sector Analysis) was organized at Agricultural Projects Services Centre (APROSC) in Nepal, with participants from China, India, Myanmar, Nepal and Sri Lanka. A Training Course on "Agricultural Investment Project Planning" was organized for ASEAN agriculture planners in collaboration with ADPC (Agricultural Development Planning Centre).
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