Apec nations aim to boost agricultural productivity

Asia Pacific nations agreed on Sunday to boost the region's agricultural productivity through technology transfer and information sharing as climate change and a fall in arable land threaten future food supplies.
The 21-member countries of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) also called for "responsible" agricultural investment as rising acquisition of farmland in developing countries by other nations to ensure their own food supplies is causing friction with local people.
"Climate change will affect agricultural products a lot around the world in the foreseeable future," Phillip J Glyde, deputy secretary, department of agriculture fisheries and forestry of Australia, told a news conference.
He said Australia enjoyed a good harvest this year, but "the real challenge will be at the next twenty, thirty or fifty years to feed more people with less water, less land and climate constraint environment".
Thai Agriculture Minister Theera Wongsamut said the country, a big rice exporter, was going to adjust its irrigation systems after heavy rainfall due to the La Nina weather phenomenon caused serious disruption in some parts of the country.