The ASEAN food situation in 2005/2006 has been stable.  The region was still self-sufficient in rice and sugar, where productions or supplies were in excess of the regional demand. However, the sugar production has declined in this period due to draughts. The region’s exports of rice and sugar played important roles in the global market.  For maize and soybean, the region had to rely on imports from the world market as local productions could not meet the regional domestic demand.

 Under the ASEAN Plus Three Cooperation, two projects are being implemented, namely: East Asia Emergency Rive Reserve (EAERR) and the ASEAN Food Security Information System since 2004. The EAERR activities are focusing on the implementation of mechanism of stock release and utilizing emergency rice reserve for responding to disaster, and reviewing mechanisms of stock release under various programmes.  While, AFSIS activities are focusing on the construction of information network on food security and human resource development. Under the AFSIS Project, a website has been established that provides information for the assessment of food security situation and policy planning in the region.

Crops

 ASEAN has produced Endemic Pest List for some important agricultural commodities in regional trade, namely: milled rice, citrus fruit, mango fruit, potato tuber, and dendrobium orchids cut flower. Further harmonization of phytosanitary measures for these commodities would be continued, particularly for the development of importation guidelines.

The ASEAN Plant Health Cooperation Network (APHCN) website (http://www. doa.gov.my/pqnet/aphcn/aphcn.html) has been established as a tool for sharing information on plant health in ASEAN Member Countries. Currently, the information on Plant Quarantine Act and Import conditions of Malaysia and Singapore are available at the APHCN website. Under the initiative, the ASEAN Regional Diagnostic Initiative would be pursued on a pilot basis in order to address impediments to agricultural market access.

Through the harmonization of Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) of pesticides, ASEAN has continued its efforts to protect consumer health and facilitate trade by minimizing  pesticide use to ensure food safety and prevent degradation of the environment. At the 29th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF) on 1 November 2007 in Bangkok, ASEAN adopted another 99 harmonized MRLs for 16 pesticides which add to the existing 658 MRLs already endorsed by previous AMAF Meetings for 61 pesticides.

ASEAN continues to undertake concerted efforts in the harmonisation of quality and standards, assurance of food safety and standardisation of trade certification in order to support economic integration and to enhance ASEAN competitiveness of agriculture and forestry products in the international markets. ASEAN had adopted the ASEAN Good Agricultural Practices (ASEAN GAP) for the production, harvesting and post-harvest handling of fresh fruit and vegetables, and a number of standards for horticultural produce, namely ASEAN Standards for mango, pineapple, durian, papaya, pumelo and rambutan.

Livestock

ASEAN cooperation in livestock continued to progress favourably, especially on the Regularization of Production and Utilization of Animal Vaccines; Promotion of International Trade in Livestock and Livestock Products; and Strengthening of Animal Diseases Control Programme.  A number of new initiatives, including Common Stand on Codex Issues and Veterinary Drug Residues in Food are being initiated.

 In efforts to regularize the production and utilization of animal vaccines, ASEAN agreed to improve existing mechanisms and procedures for the registration of animal vaccines manufactured within and outside ASEAN Member Countries. For this purpose, a single mechanism would be applied. The ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry, at its 29th Meeting in Bangkok in November 2007 endorsed the ASEAN Standard for Live Infectious Bronchitis Vaccine (revised), and Inactivated Infectious Bronchitis Vaccine (revised). The Ministers also endorsed the re-accreditation of the National Veterinary Drug Assay Laboratory (NVDAL), Gunung Sindur, Indonesia as an ASEAN Vaccine Testing Laboratories for specific 9 animal vaccines for a period of 3 years.

The outbreak of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in several ASEAN Member Countries since December 2003 greatly affected the economies  in the region. The poultry industry incurred heavy losses and the livelihoods of many people were affected. Other sectors of the economy, such as tourism, were also affected albeit indirectly, caused by the fear of the disease. A major concern is the ability of the virus to spread from diseased poultry to people. The Regional Framework for Control and Eradication of HPAI (2006-2008) was developed in order to response the outbreak. ASEAN had concluded the implementation of the eight components under this Regional Framework (2006 - 2008) in closed collaboration with international organisation/ dialogue partners. Towards the conclusion of the Regional Framework, the 29th AMAF Meeting on 1 November 2007 in Bangkok endorsed the “ASEAN Regional Strategy for the Progressive Control and Eradication of HPAI (2008-2010)”.

 ASEAN has established and signed the Agreement for Establishment of the ASEAN Animal Health Trust Fund (AHTF) in November 2006 in order to support the ASEAN activities to control and eradicate animal disease in the region.  In this area, ASEAN also acknowledged the importance of partnership and support provided by various international organisations and donor agencies, especially for technical support and capacity building. ASEAN and OIE agreed to enhance the working relationship through the signing of an MOU for cooperation in the fields of animal health, animal welfare and veterinary public health as well as other areas of common interest.

Fisheries

 The ASEAN Network of Fisheries Post-Harvest Technology Centre, continues its cooperation with the Marine Fisheries Research Department (MFRD) of the Southeast Asia Fisheries Development Centre (SEAFDEC) to implement  activities on: (i) HACCP Training Programmes, (ii) Regional Code of Conduct on Post-Harvest Practices and Trade, and (iii) ASEAN-Australia Development and Cooperation Programme (AADCP) on “Quality Assurance and Safety of ASEAN Fish and Fishery Products”. As a result of successful collaborations with SEAFEDEC, new initiatives have been developed  namely: Seafood Safety Information Network and Chloramphenicol, and Nitrofuran Residues in Aquaculture Fish and Fish Products.

ASEAN continues to have collaboration with SEAFDEC and agreed to enhance closer cooperation by strengthening the implementation of regional fisheries programmes and mechanism through the establishment of “ASEAN-SEAFDEC Strategic Partnership (ASSP)”. Toward this end, a Letter of Understanding (LOU) on the ASSP has been signed by the Secretary General of ASEAN and Secretary General of SEAFDEC during the 29th Meeting of AMAF.

With the assistance of Australia, ASEAN has completed the Hazard Guide – A Guide to the Identification and Control of Food Safety Hazards in the Production of Fish and Fisheries Products in the ASEAN Region, and the Guidelines on Development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Health Certification and Quarantine Measures for the Responsible Movement of Live Food Finfish.

ASEAN Member Countries agreed on new initiatives to establish the ASEAN Shrimp Alliance (ASA) and the establishment of an ASEAN Network on Aquatic Animal Health Centres (ANAAHC).

Agricultural Training and Extension

ASEAN continues to practice Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programmes on various crops, including the development of training modules on prioritised commodities and organisation of regional IPM Training Programmes for these commodities. The commodities include corn, mango, orange, shallot, rice, pumelo and soybean. The exchange visit of officials, trainers and farmers on IPM in Citrus had been organised by Thailand on 10-16 June 2007.
 
 A number of activities to enhance the knowledge of extension workers and farmers have been organised. The Regional Training on Edible and Medicinal Mushroom Production Technology for ASEAN Extension Workers and Farmers had been conducted on 1 – 21 November 2006 in Viet Nam. While, exchange visit for officials, trainers and farmers was organised in Palembang, Indonesia on 5-10 July 2007.

 In order to help national governments and non-governments organization in ASEAN to improve the effectiveness of the implementation of their national IPM programme, ASEAN established the ASEAN IPM Knowledge Network (http://ASEAN-IPM.searca.org). The IPM Knowledge Network is an initiative to accumulate the vast collection of knowledge capital on IPM that can be reused and shared by national IPM programmes in the ASEAN region. To do this, the ASEAN IPM established an electronic IPM Knowledge Management Facility, which ensures that IPM Knowledge is available at the point of need of programme implementers and policy makers. The ASEAN IPM Centre in the Philippines acts as the Database and Network Administrator.  The Knowledge Hubs located in each ASEAN Member Countries are established and linked to the ASEAN IPM Centre.

Agricultural Cooperatives
 
Out of 10 Strategic Alliances (SA) projects for agricultural cooperatives, nine projects are being implemented at various stages. Under the SA Project on Beef Farming,  business cooperation between the Johor State Farmers’ Organization and Krida Satwa Cooperative of Indonesia had been carried out through the signing of MOU for the importation of goats of Ettawa breed (Jafnapari).

Research and Development in Agriculture

 Cooperation in the area of research and development in agriculture was started in 2005. A number of activities have been initiated including the establishment of the ASEAN Agricultural Research and Development Information System (ASEAN ARDIS), development of the ASEAN Directory of Agricultural Research and Development Centres in ASEAN, and the Guidelines for the Use of the Digital Information System.

Forestry

Development of national criteria and indicators (C & I) for sustainable forest management (SFM), including national forest policy review, and forest plantation, has progressed well in individual ASEAN Member Countries. At the regional level, the development of the initiative on a Pan ASEAN Timber Certification has moved towards using internationally recognized criteria to ensure the acceptability of ASEAN certified timber products in the international market. In compliance with the international forestry reporting requirements on progress towards the achievement of sustainable forest management at the national and regional levels, the 29th AMAF Meeting on 1 November 2007 in Bangkok endorsed the followings:

1. ASEAN Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Management of Tropical Forests;
2. Monitoring, Assessment and Reporting Format for Sustainable Forest Management in ASEAN; and
3. ASEAN Guideline for the Implementation of IPF/IFF proposals for Action.

In view of reaffirming ASEAN’s commitment in combating illegal logging and its associated trade, the 29th AMAF Meeting also declared the “Ministerial Statement on Strengthening Forest Law Enforcement and Governance (FLEG) in ASEAN”.

Under the ASEAN-German Regional Forest Programme, the ASEAN Forestry Clearing House Mechanisms (CHM) has been established to serve as an information platform among ASEAN Member Countries for needs-driven discussions on issues of common interest.

The first volume of the Database on ASEAN Herbal and Medicinal Plants, consisting of 64 plant species had been completed and published. ASEAN is currently working on the second volume of the Database that would carry information on 50 species. 

 ASEAN agreed to be more proactive and intensify cooperation in the implementation of CITES. ASEAN Ministers Responsible for CITES declared the ASEAN Statement on CITES in the occasion of the 13th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to CITES on 2-14 October 2004 in Bangkok. ASEAN shows its commitments in this area by developing and adopting the ASEAN Regional Action Plan on Trade in Wild Fauna and Flora 2005-2010. The ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN) was established in December 2005 to provide an effective coordination and information sharing mechanism among law enforcement agencies at national and regional levels in the fight against the illicit harvesting of transnational trade in wild fauna and flora.

Codex

ASEAN has developed the ASEAN Food Safety Network website (www.aseanfoodsafetynetwork.net) to provide useful information on food safety, such as SPS measures of various countries, issues in the international standards setting bodies (Codex, OIE, IPPC, etc.) as well as the works of various ASEAN bodies related to food safety.

Agriculture and Forest Products Promotion Scheme

 To promote trade in agriculture and forest products, ASEAN  extended  the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on ASEAN Cooperation in Agriculture and Forest Products Promotion Scheme for the another five years, viz. 2004 to 2009.  The MOU remains relevant as a basis to pursue cooperation with the private sector and to coordinate joint positions on issues related to trade in ASEAN agriculture and forest products. The new MOU is now under consideration by the ASEAN Member Countries, including review the agricultural and forestry products to be covered by the MOU. Taking into consideration the relevance to the prevailing market situation and their activities over the past 12 years, the following 5 products, namely: frozen prawn, frozen chicken, canned pineapple, canned tuna and natural rubber agreed to be taken out from the list.

Biotechnology

Having produced the ASEAN General Guidelines on the Release of Agriculture-related Genetically Modified Organisms, ASEAN Member Countries are building up their testing capabilities to detect agriculture GMOs. To develop the important aspects of regulating GMO, ASEAN agreed to implement new initiative on ASEAN Genetically Modified Food Testing Network. The Initiative is to  assist ASEAN Member Countries  better utilise  existing national resources  on genetic modification and food safety, as well as gain better access to information on developing GM testing capabilities for food. The ASEAN Task Force on Genetically Modified Food Testing Network was established to carry out activities that include: compilation of GMOs Regulations in ASEAN, GMO Testing Laboratories, GMO Testing Methods, Reference Material Collection, and GMO Molecular Registry.

Cooperation with International Organisations and Dialogue Partners

 Under the ASEAN Cooperation in Agriculture, a lot of projects and activities have been carried out in collaboration with international organisations and dialogue partners. In order to enhance the capacity and capability of ASEAN Member Countries, the plus three countries (China, ROK and Japan) provided training courses in various sub-sectors of agriculture. Closed collaboration with international organisations such as FAO and OIE is also carried out to control and eradicate infectious animal diseases in the region.

Following the signing for extension of the MOU between the Ministry of Agriculture of the People’s Republic of China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Secretariat on Agricultural Cooperation (2007 – 2011) on 14 January 2007 in Cebu City, Philippines, a number of activities in the area of personnel training, technical exchange, demonstration programme, and trade promotion programmes have been continued throughout 2007. ASEAN and China also signed the MOU between the PR of China and the Association of South East Asian Nations on Strengthening Sanitary and Phytosanitary Cooperation in November 2007.

 ASEAN and MAFF Japan are implementing two five-year projects, namely: “Strengthening of Partnership among Japan and ASEAN Countries”, and “South-South Cooperation Promotion Project for Agricultural Productivity Enhancement in Developing Countries. The Partnership Project aims at enhancing ASEAN Japan economic partnership, particularly through agricultural cooperative network between relevant ASEAN and Japan institutions.  While, the South-South Cooperation Project is intended to disseminate developing ASEAN Member Countries’ advanced technologies to the newer ASEAN Member Countries as well as to some Asian LDCs.