The approval of a number of policy guidelines, directives as well as the new project proposals by the Tenth Meeting of ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF) has paved the way for further strengthening of the ASEAN cooperative endeavours in this field during the year under review.
The Tenth AMAF Meeting held in Kuala Lumpur on 20-22 October 1988 approved the revised "Regulations for Importation of Zoo/Wild Animals" and "Regulations on the Importation of Recreational Animals", as a follow up action to implement the ASEAN Ministerial Understanding on Standardization of Import and Quarantine Regulations on Animals and Animal Products.
The said Meeting also approved a number of new project proposals including the ASEAN Regional Programme for Farm Women in Agricultural Development, ASEAN Regional Cooperation in Training of Trainers in Agricultural Extension, and ASEAN Goat and Sheep Development Programme. The above projects will be implemented probably with cooperation and assistance of the Third Parties.
The Eighteenth Meeting of COFAF was held in Chiang Mai, Thailand in September 1987, during which the Committee reviewed the implementation progress of its activities. The Meeting also approved a number of policy guidelines in order to ensure the smooth implementation of the Programme of Action 6f the New Initiative to Enhance the ASEAN Cooperation in Food, Agriculture and Forestry as agreed by the Third ASEAN Summit.
ASEAN Food Security Reserve
The food situation in the region during the year under review continued to be satisfactory. Rice production in ASEAN countries for crops year 1988/1989 was considered quite favourable due to the good Weather conditions. The Policy on rice self-sufficiency of member countries encouraging the expansion of planting areas was also considered as one of the contributing factors for the favourable rice supplies in the region during the year under review.
Paddy output of ASEAN countries in 1988/ 1989 would be substantially increased as a result of good production prospects in most ASEAN countries particularly Thailand and Indonesia.
The implementation of the Canadian supported project namely ASEAN Grain Post- Harvest Programme (AGPP) was reported to be in good progress. Following the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in July 1988, several activities have been carried out including the succesful implementation of a Technical Seminar on Grains Post-Harvest Technology held in Kuala Lumpur in August 1988 attended by more than 120 experts. Over 30 technical papers were presented at the Seminar.
ASEAN Quarantine Ring
A number of activities which led to the further strengthening of ASEAN cooperation in the field of plant and animal quarantine were succesfully implemented during the year under review. The Plant Quarantine Centre and Training Institute (PLANTI) which has been entrusted with the task of strengthening the plant quarantine capabilities in ASEAN member countries conducted at least 15 Training Courses on various aspects of Plant Quarantine. The Courses held at the Centre, were attended by more than 200 ASEAN officers. The year under review also saw the successful implementation of the Symposium on "Introduction of Germ Plasm and Plant Quarantine Procedures" and technical meetings on present Status and Documentation of Plant parasitic Hematodes" and on "Suitability Different Plant Quarantine Treatments Economical Important Fruits". Several research activities have also been undertaken by the Centre during the year under review which covered following areas of research:
a) Germination and viability of weed integrated from cover crop Seed ;
b) Intercepting weed seeds from agricultural needs;
c) Use of disinfectants to promote export of local fruits;
d) Disease of ornamentals; and
e) Post-harvest disinfectation treatment of fruits.
Several publications, audiovisuals, poster an pest data sheets were also produced by PLANTI during the year of 1988/1989. On animal quarantine,as a follow up action of the Ministerial Agreement on "Standardization of Import an Quarantine Regulations on Animals and Animal Products", the 10th AMAF Meeting approved the revised "Regulation for Importation of Recreational Animals" and "Regulation for Importation of Zoo/Wild Animals".
Food Handling
The Sub-Committee on Food Handling successfully held its 23th and 24th Meetings in Kuala Trengganu, Malaysia and in Cebu City, Philippines in June and December 1988 respectively.
For more than 12 years, the Sub-Committee on Food Handling has been implementing various programmes of activities significantly contributing to the improvement of food handling system in ASEAN countries. The project supported by Australian grant and technical assistance is currently in the final stage of implementation and scheduled to be completed within 1989.
Considering that ASEAN countries still being confronted with the alarming high Percentage of after-harvest losses, particularly during the handling and the distribution chains, COFAF has prepared a new project prop regarding post-harvest system improvement programme specifically designed for improvement two major components namely: meat and m quality and the development of the post harvest systems for major fruits and vegetables in ASEAN.
The year under review observed successful completion of major components of the current programme of activities including :
a) training course on improvement post-harvest handling system for fresh fruit and vegetable held in Bangkok in August / September 1988.
b) the completion of a survey on tomato trade and handling systems in Singapore;
c) the publication of a book entitled "Banana : Botany, Post-harvest Physiology, Handling and Marketing ASEAN"
d) the purchase and installation of laboratory equipments for milk and meat of quality control laboratory in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines ;
e) the fourth training course in laboratory meat safety and quality control held in Singapore, April-June 1989;
f) the purchase of equipments for quality control laboratory and training programmes for extension workers in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.
g) the use of plastic returnable containers for fish, in all ASEAN countries, which represents one of the major achievement of the works in improving the fisheries post harvest handling practices under the Food Handling Project.
The Working Group on Grains and Project Implementators of the ASEAN - EC Regional Collaborative Programme on Grains held its meetings in Langkawi, Malaysia and Sukamandi, Indonesia, on February and March 1989, respectively. The Meetings reviewed the status of progress successful implementation of various activities including the following:
a) the satisfactory performance of the final field test of the prototype mobile maize dryer in Thailand;
b) under the sub project activities on Bulk handling and storage, the setting up of data bases and applications for monitoring and controlling rice imports and storage in Singapore as a part of its national programme on the computerization of stock management and inventory control; and
c) the successful workshop on Rice Milling held in Langkawi, Malaysia, February 1989.
Sharing of Training and Extension Resources
The Council of the ASEAN Directors of Extension (CADEX) held its Twelfth Meeting in Port Dickson, Malaysia on 19-21 July 1988. The Meeting reviewed the status of progress of its various activities and noted the satisfactory progress of its various activities and noted the satisfactory progress of implementation of the ASEAN-UNDP project on Strengthening and Sharing Development Support Communication. The Meeting also prepared a number of new project proposals for possible third parties cooperation. The year under review also saw the continuous smooth implementation of the programme of exchange of visits of farmer leaders, youth and women among the ASEAN countries.
In line with the Third ASEAN Summit's initiative to encourage participation of the private sector through the exchange of farmers and fishermen including women and youth, the first ASEAN Farmers'Week Celebration was held in the Philippines on 21-31 May 1989.
Cooperation in Fisheries
The year under review saw the significant development in this field of cooperation. In December 1988, a Fisheries Forum was successfully convened in Jakarta, participated by representatives of public and private sectors. The participants discussed thoroughly various Possible activities to accelerate the development Of than ASEAN fisheries sectors.
The private sector agreed to the establisment of the ASEAN Fisheries Consultative Body for better coordination of their activities. Another mark of progress in this field was the agreement of ASEAN, UNDP and FAO to implement the project on Monitoring, Control and Surveillance of Fisheries in the Exclusive Zones (EEZ) of ASEAN Countries. The project document was signed i6 January 1989. The project will focus its activities on training activities at the regional level for number of trainers to enable them to effectively apply modern fisheries management techniques in the monitoring, control and surveillance of fisheries in the EEZ for the six member countries.
The Regional Small Scale Coastal Fisheries Development Project, another project which was implemented by ASEAN in cooperation with UNDP and FAO was reported as progressing well A Tripartite Meeting was held in September 198i in Penang, Malaysia during which the Meeting made a number of important recommendations fo future activities in this field.
Cooperation in Livestock
The official opening of the ASEAN Poultry Disease Research and Training Centre (APDRTC) on 27 February 1989 marked the significant progress of development cooperation in this field. The Centre, located in Ipoh, Malaysia was established with the grant aid and technical assistance of the Japanese Government amounting to 1.3 billion Yen.
The opening ceremony of the Centre was followed by the Meeting of Directors on Livestock Veterinary Authorities and the Japanese experts to prepare the comprehensive short and long term programme of activities of the Centre. The opening of the Centre also witnessed the deliberation of 9 ASEAN Seminar on "Viral Diseases of Poultry Diagnosis and Control" participated by Experts and Researchers from ASEAN and Japan, held the Centre from 19-28 February 1989.
It is expected that with the full involvement of more than 20 professional staffs seconded by the Malaysian and Japanese Governments, it Centre would be able to provide its assistance to member countries in three areas of activities on poultry Disease i.e. research, training and information dissemination. The Malaysian and Japanese Governments agreed to provide grant-aid, and technical assistance for the Centre operational costs estimated to be about US$ 500,000 per year for at least the next three years.
Cooperation in Crops
The Coordinating Group on Crops held its Eighth Meeting in Serdang Malaysia from 12-14 July 1988. The Meeting agreed to implement several project activities including the project on "Pilot Production Modules on Multi-Storey Cropping Systems of ASEAN". This project was approved by AMAF at their Tenth Meeting held in Kuala Lumpur, October 1988. The launching of the first Pilot Farm for the said project was held in Cavite, Philippines on 22 May 1989.
The year under review observed the successful implementation of the Seventh ASEAN Orchid Congress held in Jakarta, 4 - 9 November 1988. The Congress comprised an Orchid Exhibition, Seminar and the ASEAN Delegates Meeting. The Congress was attended by representatives of government and private sectors, universities, research institutions and other experts from ASEAN member countries. The Orchid Congress was also attended by researchers and representatives of Orchid Importing Agencies in Europe, U.S., Australia and others.
Cooperation in Forestry
Cooperation in this field continue to progress satisfactorily. Various programmes of activities were implemented smoothly during the year under review, including the following:
a) ASEAN - US Watershed Project - The Twelfth Meeting of the Project Steering Committee (PSC) was held in Manila on 24-26 August 1988. A Planning Workshop on Watershed Management was held in June 1988 in Jakarta. Two Training Courses each attended by 20 Watershed Management Experts were conducted in Bangkok and Los Banos, Philippines in the middle of 1988, respectively. To support research activities in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand, the project provided research equipments for the counterpart institutions in those countries. A project Country Coordinator's Meeting was held in Manila in August 1988 to review the status of progress of the project and to draft the workplan for the coming years.
b) ASEAN Institute of Forest Management (AIFM) - The 4th and 5th Meeting of Project Steering Committee (PSC) were held in Kuala Lumpur in December 1988 and March-1999, respectively Various activities have been success- fully implemented by the Institute including: the completion of two fellowship studies done in the Philippines and Malaysia; the Study Tour on Forest Management Institutes in ASEAN Member Countries, training for 18 ASEAN officials for Master Degree Course in Canada. Under the programmes on "Operational Forest Inventory and Planning on "Implementation of Inventory and Planning Systems", there are also research activities which are currently being implemented satisfactorily.
c) ASEAN Timber Technology Centre (ATTC) - The Fifth and Sixth Meetings of the Project Steering Committee were held in May and November 1988 in Chiang Mai, Thailand and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, respectively. Seven research activities are currently underway with a good progress. Six short courses were conducted and participated by a total of 170 trainees of whom 55 were on ATTC scholarships. Four workshops, including the Workshop on Wood Preservation in ASEAN, were successfully conducted for a total of 160 participants of whom 18 were sponsored by ATTC. In June 1989, the construction of the Wood Working Equipment Workshop at the University of Pertanian Malaysia (UPM) was completed.
ASEAN Agricultural Development Planning Centre (ADPC)
The Tenth Meeting of the Board of Planners (BOP) of the ASEAN Agriculture Developments Planning Centre (ADPC) held its Tenth Meeting in Bangkok from 24-26 August 1988. The year under review was an important Period of ADPC as marked the beginning of its second phase activities. Six research studies are currently be carried out with a good progress including " ASEAN Agricultural Data Collection System "Studies on Comparative Advantage Study Selected Agricultural Marketing Information System". In implementing programme of action for the enhancement of ASEAN cooperation ADPC had convened a Meeting on Harmonization of National Plans in Food, Agriculture a Forestry in the Region in Bangkok on 22-23 August 1988. A number of important agricultural economic issues were identified as a priority for in depth study by ADPC, to be undertaken as so as possible.
One of the important ADPC's activities is conduct regular training programmes for ASE officials in the forms of both long-term and short-term trainings in agricultural planning. During year under review, more than 20 participants attended two short-term training courses. implementation of the activities under the ASEAN - UNDP/FAO project on Agricultural Project Formulation, Monitoring and Evaluation (APFME) are progressing well. Various consultancy training activities have been conducted including a training for trainers on agricultural investment project planning. . This training was held November 1988 and participated by 16 ASEAN Officials.
For more information, please refer to the project details
