Over 70% of draught animals were lost in areas affected by Cyclone Nargis, putting many families at risk of food insecurity and lower crop yields. With funding from PricewaterhouseCoopers through FAO, the project will donate 353 pairs of buffaloes or cattle to directly assist 353 families and allow 2,471 additional families to borrow animals. This will allow over 2,824 families to immediately resume food production and livelihoods through the provision of livestock and the preparation of 350-450 hectares of land for planting. Technical guidance was also provided to farmers on animal husbandry and cultivation.

1. FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS
Office of the FAO Representation in Myanmar
PRESS RELEASE
FOR INFORMATION
MEDIA
NOT AN OFFICIAL
RECORD
Seed Division Compound
Myanmar Agriculture
Service
Yangon Insein Road
Gyogon
P.O. Box 101
Yangon, Myanmar
Tel 01 641672/3
Fax 01 641671
Email FAO-
MYA@fao.org
Mass Distribution of Buffaloes begins in Nargis Ravaged Areas
Yangon, Myanmar - Nilar Andrea Chit Tun, Communications Officer
Over 70% of draught animals (buffaloes and cattle) were drowned or lost in cyclone Nargis
affected areas. An impending consequence is if draught animals are not replaced soon,
approximately 122,000 hectares of paddy cannot be planted or only planted in insufficiently
prepared lands, resulting in significantly lower yields. The inability to plant during the 2008-
2009 seasons would put many families under great economic threat and food insecurity.
With Pricewaterhouse Cooper’s donations through FAO, the project beneficiaries will use
draught animals to prepare their lands for planting. Other families will also get their lands
cultivated by either hiring or borrowing the animals. These donations will help hard hit
families immediately recover their livelihoods and resume household food production. In
collaboration with the Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department (LVBD) and the
Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries (MLF), animal health care and vaccination after
distribution of draught animals will be provided to those families. The procurement and
distribution of buffaloes was satisfactory due to the FAO’s collaboration with LVBD and
MLF. The majority of the animals at the Okan Market were in good health and acceptable
condition. Veterinary inspection, vaccination and quarantine were carried out.
The primary benefits of this project include:
• 353 pairs (706 heads) of buffaloes or cattle will be donated to assist directly 353
families to restock their lost animals. Another 2 471 families will get their land
cultivated by either hiring the animals or borrowing them free of charge;
• 2 824 vulnerable families will immediately recover their cyclone-affected
livelihoods and resume household food production through supply of livestock
inputs;
• A total of 706 buffaloes and cattle will be put to use in preparing 350-450 hectares
for planting;
• Increase the income to support other basic needs through the leasing of draught
animals or selling of their produce;
• In addition to this, technical leaflets in Myanmar (Burmese) were disseminated for
better awareness and knowledge of farmers on better feeding and cultivation
patterns.
In Pyapon alone, 150 buffaloes were distributed while 300 went to Kungyangon two weeks
beforehand. According to FAO’s Veterinary and Livestock Specialists, 706 buffaloes and
cattle with 20 tons of emergency feed will be distributed through the region with this donor
funding.
For follow-up media inquiries contact: Nilar Andrea Chit Tun,
Communications Officer, FAO Myanmar, NilarCT@gmail.com