This article is from page 34 of the 2007-10-23 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 34 JPG
YOU’VE heard of the Chinese year of the sheep and the pig, well in agri- cultural circles at least 2008 has been branded as the International Year of the Potato.
The United Nations Food and Ag- riculture Organisation (FAQ), has taken on the task of celebrating the mighty spud, and to commemorate this initiative the Minister for Food and Horticulture at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Trevor Sargent, this week announced funding for the FAO.
“Ireland will provide significant funding, starting with an initial pay- ment of $150,000, to support the
activities of the UN Food and Agri- culture Organisation (FAQ), which is the lead United Nations’ agency for implementation of the International Year of the Potato,” he said.
“The coming year has been desig- nated as the United Nations’ Interna- tional Year of the Potato. Throughout the world, governments, scientists, farmers and others will focus on the potential of the potato to improve food security and nutrition and to reduce hunger and poverty. Ireland is committed to play a major part in view of the fact that the potato is the third most important food crop in the (ey ule B
“Funding provided by Ireland will go to support FAO activities. Ac-
tivities will include information gen- eration and dissemination through conferences and symposia to review research policies and chart the future direction of the sector.
“This will include a major confer- ence run by the International Potato Centre in Peru in March 2008 fo- cusing on the application of potato science for the poor. It is hoped to encourage action throughout the developing world to focus on potato systems including crop yields, exten- sion training on improved varieties and production systems.”
The mighty spud has noted the central role the potato has played in Irish History. The failure of the crop due to potato blight in 1845 led to a
famine that left 1.5 million dead and a further 1 million citizens forced to emigrate.
“Irish people have a deep memory of the effects of famine on our nation. Our history means we are acutely aware of the need to focus on the po- tato and the vital role that agriculture can play in improving nutrition and supporting food security,” continued Sargent.
To mark the Year of the Potato, Ireland will also organise a national programme of events for 2008 with an emphasis on nutrition. This will include activities for schools includ- ing a primary school competition that aims to promote both the aware- ness and the growing of the potato.