Intra-ASEAN Cooperation in food, agriculture and forestry received added impetus when the ASEAN Agriculture Ministers signed two Memoranda of Understanding - one on ASEAN Agricultural Cooperation in Agricultural Cooperatives and the other on Plant Pest Free Zones when they met at their Sixth Meeting in Manila, 6 - 9 October, 1984. A number of projects were successfully implemented.

The ASEAN Committee on Food, Agriculture and Forestry (COFAF) also held its Fourteenth Meeting in Denpasar, Bali Indonesia in December 1984.


ASEAN Food Security Reserve

The food situation in the region during the year under review continued to be satisfactory. The ASEAN Food Security Reserve (AFSR) Board in reviewing the food situation in ASEAN at its Fifth Meeting in Manila in January 1985, agreed that the 1984 - 1985 production prospect of food commodities of special concern to ASEAN namely rice, corn, soybean and sugar was generally favourable. In spite of the incidence of drought and floods in some areas at the beginning of the planting season, overall production of these commodities was expected to increase somewhat. This was mainly due to the extension of planted area for those crops, the expansion of the application of modern agricultural technology and high yielding varieties, the continuous rehabilitation as well as establishment of new agricultural irrigation systems, and the continuing improvement of other agricultural support services.

The year under review also saw satisfactory progress in the implementation of the ASEAN Crops Post Harvest Programme, a project under the management and supervision of the AFSR Board.

Activities under the Programme in 1984 received fruitful cooperation from the ASEAN Food Handling Bureau through the latter's Australian and European Community supported research and training programmes.


ASEAN Quarantine Ring

Activities under the ASEAN Quarantine Ring programmes progressed satisfactorily. On Plant Quarantine, an important development worth noting was the signing of a Ministerial Understanding on Plant Pest Free Zones during the Sixth Meeting of ASEAN Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF), which declared that with the exception of certain limited areas, all ASEAN territories were plant pest free zones.

The Plant Quarantine Centre and Training Institute (PLANTI) activities continued to progress. From July to September 1984, three technical meetings were held in Manila, Philippines; Serdang, Malaysia and Bogor, Indonesia respectively on:

(i) emergency action programmes for some crops;

(ii) plant quarantine treatment panel; and

(iii) weeds of plant quarantine importance to ASEAN;

During October - December 1984, PLANTI conducted four short-term courses on:

(i) stored products pests and control measures;

(ii) container inspection techniques;

(iii) plant and stored product units;-and

(iv) nematodes of plant quarantine importance.

In 1984, seventeen participants pursuing post graduate Diploma and Certificate courses in Plant Quarantine graduated from PLANTI.

To date, more than 150 ASEAN officials have participated in the PLANTI courses which, accordingly to a recent evaluation study, have been very helpful in improving participants' job performance.

On animal quarantine, it was noted that no major outbreak of exotic animal diseases such as Foot and Mouth Disease, Rinderpest and Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia, had occured during the year under review. At its Sixth Meeting in Manila, October 1984, AMAF approved the application of Malaysia to declare the state of Sabah, Malaysia, as a Foot and Mouth Disease free zone. Furthermore, the Ninth Meeting of the ASEAN Animal Protection Programme held in Brunei Darussalam, January 1985, reported that positive steps had been taken to strengthen and expand national animal quarantine facilities.


Food Handling

The ASEAN Food Handling Project continued to progress satisfactorily with activities aimed at improving the capability of the post harvest handling of grains, horticulture, fish and livestock products. Developments during the year under review included:

(i) Inauguration of the ASEAN Horticulture Packing House in Brastagi, North Sumatra, Indonesia, in December 1984, followed by several studies and work- shops on post-harvest handling of fruits and vegetables in packing houses;

(ii) selection and procurement of equipment for strengthening fish quality control laboratories in Indonesia, -Malaysia and the Philippines;

(iii) production of films on farm-level drying, storage and handling of grains;

(iv) a training course in laboratory meat safety and quality control in Singapore in late 1984.

Another project under the management of the Sub-Committee on Food Handling, viz. the ASEAN - EEC Regional Collaborative Programme on Grains Post Harvest Technology, finalized preparations for procuring and delivering post- harvest equipment to all ASEAN countries. More than ten consultants were hired, mostly on short-term assignments, to assist member countries in project preparation, workshops and seminars. Additional training courses and workshops are planned for the remainder of 1985.


Sharing and Training of Extension Resources

The Council of the ASEAN Directors of Extension (CADEX) at its Eighth Meeting in Manila, November 1984, reviewed the progress of its activities, including preparations to implement a new project on strengthening and sharing of development support communication resources in ASEAN.

The year under review saw the expansion of ASEAN cooperation in this field particularly under the area of agricultural cooperatives. This was marked by the signing of the ASEAN Memorandum of Understanding on ASEAN Cooperation in Agricultural Cooperatives by the AMAF during its Sixth Meeting to be implemented through:

(i) exchanges of relevant information and experience among member countries;

(ii) education and training of personnel and cooperators;

(iii) research and development programmes, and

(iv) other project activities related to agricultural cooperatives.

Cooperation in Crops

The Coordinating Group on Crops held its Fifth Meeting in Phuket, Thailand, in March 1985. The Meeting agreed to incorporate the activities of the ASEAN Soil Conference into the Experts Group on Soil, Water Management and Land Consolidation in order to facilitate the smooth implementation of the ASEAN Soil Conference Programme of Work. The Experts Group was therefore renamed "The Experts Group on Soil Science".


Cooperation in Fisheries

In the field of Fisheries, cooperation continued to progress with regard to the implementation of the ASEAN Ministerial Understanding on Fisheries Cooperation. Necessary follow up actions have been undertaken in line with the prioritization agreed upon by COFAF at its Fourteenth meeting.

On the ASEAN - Canada Fisheries Post Harvest Technology Project, Canada agreed to extend the time frame of the project to the end of 1987 and to increase the budget from C$1.5 million to C$2.5 million. The Agreement was signed by ASEAN and Canada on 20th November 1984.


Cooperation in Livestock

The Eighth Meeting of the Coordinating Group on Livestock was held in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam, February 1985. Efforts -in livestock cooperation were enhanced with the implementation of a programme of action covering among others, activities such as animal quarantine, livestock and animal feeds.

Several livestock projects are presently being considered by third parties for cooperative implementation including the following:

(i) ASEAN Poultry Disease Research and Training Centre (APDRTC) to be located in Malaysia; and

(ii) Pig Health and Production Resources Centre (PHPRC) to be located in Thailand.

Cooperation in Forestry

The Ninth Meeting of the Coordinating Group on Forestry held in Chieng Mai, Thailand, January 1985, noted progress on the following:

(i) ASEAN - Canada Forest Tree Seed Centre - Phase I of the project, which is supported by Canada, was completed in September 1 984 with preparations underway to implement phase II.

(ii) ASEAN - New Zealand Afforestation - A Note of Understanding on the implementation of phase 11 of the project (1985 - 1987) was signed in Manila in October 1984. The project, located in Tarlac, Philippines, commenced in 1981 and its activities have focused on plantation development of species other than those of the original forest.

A plantation of approximately 200 hectares was established in the project area during the year under review, consisting of various species of plants. The seed requirements for the project were partly donated by member countries, including Acasia mangium seeds from Indonesia and Gmelina Arborea seeds from Malaysia and Thailand.

(iii) ASEAN Watershed Project - Three experts meetings and two training courses were conducted during the year under review. Ten scholarships on watershed management, each for a two- year study either in ASEAN or U.S. Universities, . were granted under the project. The project also supported in- country research on watershed management conducted in each ASEAN member country. The project steering -committee approved one research proposal for implementation in 1985, namely, "Hydrology of Forested and Non-Forested Watersheds in Malaysia." Other member countries would submit their research proposals to be implemented in 1985/1986.

(iv) ASEAN - EC Timber Technology Centre - EC agreed to support the Centre to be located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with funding amounting to ECU 7,500,000; and

(v) ASEAN - Canada Institute of Forest Management - the Memorandum of Understanding of the project was signed on 4th February 1985. Canada is to provide a grant amounting to C$7,334,000 for this project.

ASEAN Agricultural Development Planning Centre (ADPC)

Phase I (1980 - 1986) of the Centre's programme of activities are scheduled for completion by the middle of 1986. The programme for Phase II has been prepared and submitted to USAID.

For implementation of phase I, USAID had contributed US$3 million. The Government of Thailand contributed towards the physical development of the Centre, consisting of an office building which includes a. library, study room, and a dormitory building, all located at Kasetsart University in Bangkok.

For more information, please refer to project details