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64. A regional training workshop on rural workers' self-help agro-forestry activities was held in November-December 1988 in collaboration with the Royal Thai Forestry Department and several national and international non-governmental labour organizations.
Agricultural Credit
65.
The Regional Office provided technical support to the Asia and Pacific Regional Agricultural Credit Association (APRACA), whose training activities have been funded by agricultural banking institutions of member countries. Field missions were undertaken to Thailand, Rep. of Korea, and India; and training courses held in Malaysia, Nepal and Philippines.
Food Marketing
66.
FAO continued to emphasize improvement of food and agricultural marketing efficiency through rationalizing marketing channels, upgrading infrastructure and raising market management skills. In this regard, RAPA undertook several studies in the areas of food subsidization, cooperatives marketing and marketing infrastructure and made recommendations to governments.
67.
Member countries were also assisted in preparing projects for strengthening marketing planning and improving marketing infrastructure. They have been financed or submitted to various agencies for financing.
68. FAO further collaborated with the Association of Food Marketing Agencies in Asia and the Pacific (AFMA) in organizing and conducting 10 training courses in which 250 senior marketing officials were trained. The curriculum covered foodgrain stock management and logistics, management information systems, wholesale market design, storage structures and methods processing industries and foodgrain marketing policies and programmes. Under a staff exchange scheme among national food agencies, 30 management and technical personnel were also trained. Training activities have had good response both from recipient countries and aid agencies. A UNDP-initiated evaluation mission commended the training programme and recommended a follow-up programme.
Crop Insurance
69.
Field programmes were developed for Pakistan, India, Philippines, focusing on crop insurance. A global consultation on risk management was held in Rome at which these countries, along with Thailand, participated.
Development Support Communication
70.
An 11-nation expert consultation was organized to set up the Asian Network on Development Communication. Seven technical workshops on development communications were held under RAS/85/012 for countries belonging to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. An analytical report on agricultural research communication, to serve as a basis for a proposed long-term action programme has been completed in Indonesia; a project document to secure participation of 24 Philippines agricultural colleges in agrarian reform and rural development was prepared and a communication specialist was provided for the project on selected agricultural technology transfer (PHI/87/006); and training for video, print and radio specialists from the Ministry of Agriculture was completed under NEP/85/005 in Nepal.
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