FAO to help Ecuadorian farmers affected by earthquake

The Ecuador office of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said Wednesday that it would launch an assistance program for small farmers affected by the earthquake last April in the South American country.

In a press release, the FAO said this program would be jointly developed with Ecuador's ministry of agriculture, in order to help small farmers get back on their feet as early as possible.

"The government asked for emergency help from FAO's technical cooperation program to help the families of farmers...quickly regain their sources of income," said Pedro Pena, FAO representative in Ecuador.

The program, to be run with a budget of 500,000 U.S. dollars, is expected to benefit 2,010 families in the western coastal province of Manabi that was worst hit by the earthquake, as well as farmers in the neighboring province of Esmeraldas.

Agriculture Minister Javier Ponce said that the program would contribute to the "restoration of community infrastructure for the processing and commercialization" of farm produce.

The FAO will also offer technical support to enhance institutional capacity to respond to emergencies and manage risks in the future.

Last Saturday, Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa said the severe damage made by the 7.8-magnitude earthquake last April would reduce Ecuador's GDP growth this year from 1 percent to 0.3 percent. Endi