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UN estimates China quake damage to farming at $6 bln

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China's worst earthquake in three decades has inflicted damage on country's agricultural sector totaling around $6 billion, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization said in its report on Monday.
ROME, June 30 (RIA Novosti) - China's worst earthquake in three decades has inflicted damage on country's agricultural sector totaling around $6 billion, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization said in its report on Monday.

The May 12 earthquake, which measured 8.0 on the Richter scale, claimed at least 70,000 lives.

"In addition to the human tragedy caused by the disaster - mainly the loss of family members - many rural communities in Sichuan province have lost their means to produce food and create income," Rajendra Aryal, FAO Senior Regional Emergency Coordinator, said.

Earlier in the day Chinese official news agency Xinhua reported that the quake had left 372,000 town dwellers unemployed in the worst-hit province of Sichuan.

Direct economic losses from the quake are estimated at $14.5 billion, with over 16,000 commercial firms completely destroyed.

With a population exceeding 87 million, Sichuan is China's third most populous region, and has a predominantly rural population.

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