by ASEAN
Cooperation in Food
Over the past year, demands for rice and sugar in ASEAN rose, but their supply still exceeded regional requirements. In view of this situation, the earmarked quantity of 87,000 metric tons of rice in the ASEAN Emergency Rice Reserve Requirements (AERR) will be maintained at the same level. To better provide information at the regional level, Member Countries continue to develop their National Food Security Information System (NFSIS). Top priority was given towards the development of the guidelines for compilation of food security statistical data and information. A study and workshop was conducted as part of the UNDP ASP-6 sponsored activity on the “Development of Guidelines for Compilation of Food Security Statistical Data and Information.”
An ASEAN Working Group on Halal Food has been established to undertake the task to oversee the implementation of the ASEAN General Guidelines on the Preparation and Handling of Halal Food through the cooperation projects in areas of certification, training, promotion information exchange on halal food. The ” ASEAN General Guidelines on the Preparation and Handling of Halal Food” has been reproduced and distributed to all national focal point institutions in ASEAN.
by ASEAN
Cooperation in Food
Over the past year, demands for rice and sugar in ASEAN rose, but their supply still exceeded regional requirements. In view of this situation, the earmarked quantity of 87,000 metric tons of rice in the ASEAN Emergency Rice Reserve Requirements (AERR) will be maintained at the same level. To better provide information at the regional level, Member Countries continue to develop their National Food Security Information System (NFSIS). Top priority was given towards the development of the guidelines for compilation of food security statistical data and information. A study and workshop was conducted as part of the UNDP ASP-6 sponsored activity on the “Development of Guidelines for Compilation of Food Security Statistical Data and Information.”
An ASEAN Working Group on Halal Food has been established to undertake the task to oversee the implementation of the ASEAN General Guidelines on the Preparation and Handling of Halal Food through the cooperation projects in areas of certification, training, promotion information exchange on halal food. The ” ASEAN General Guidelines on the Preparation and Handling of Halal Food” has been reproduced and distributed to all national focal point institutions in ASEAN.
Cooperation in Agriculture
Crops
ASEAN continued to implement various cooperation in crops, such as the Harmonization of Phytosanitary Measures, and the Harmonization of Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) of Pesticides in Vegetables. ASEAN has agreed to include 12 additional pesticides in the harmonization process thus increasing the number of pesticides for harmonization to 37, and agreed to the list of new 122 MRLs for Carbaryl, Carbofuran, Methomyl, Malathion, Diazinin, Triazophos, Cypermethrin and Endosulfan for 52 types of vegetables. The total number of harmonized MRLs of pesticides in vegetables has therefore increased to 175 .
Livestock
In spite of the latest outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in some European countries, ASEAN still maintains its status as FMD free zone. This demonstrates the success of the national and regional control measures in Southeast Asia. However, ASEAN continued to strengthen cooperation in FMD prevention and control. In this regard, Member Countries agreed to implement a “Southeast Asia FMD Control Campaign” for the period from 2001-2004 in collaboration with the OlE.
Cooperation in livestock also included the Regularization of Production and Utilization of Animal Vaccines, Promotion of International Trade in Livestock and Livestock Products, and Animal Health and Production Information System in ASEAN (AHPISA).
Fisheries
In coordination with the ASEAN Fisheries Post harvest Technology Centres Network (ASEAN FPHTC Network), several projects were implemented. Member Countries are currently compiling information and data on the survey of fish products in ASEAN, which would include the processing method, production/ export data, equipment used, packaging, and method of consumption and problems related to processing and marketing. A website for the ASEAN Fisheries post- harvest Technology (FPHT) Network will be placed under the SEAFDEC MFRD webpage at http://www.seafdec.org/mfrd/ Default.htm
The SEAFDEC MFRD in Singapore organised and hosted the First Regional Workshop on the Application of HACCP in the Fish Processing Industry in Southeast Asia on 28 -31 August 2000. At the Workshop, Member Countries exchanged information on national situations on HACCP application, identified problems and issues, both at national and regional level, and practical solutions to these problems and issues as well as areas of regional collaboration to improve the current situations, especially in new ASEAN Member Countries.
In cooperation with the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC), implementation of several projects continued, namely (i) Upgrading of the Traditional Fish Processing Industry for South-east Asian Countries; (ii) Promotion of Mangrove-friendly Aquaculture in South-east Asian Countries; (iii) Conservation and Management of Sea Turtles in South-east Asian Countries; (iv) Development of Fish Diseases Diagnostical Inspection Methodologies for Artificially-bred Seeds; (v) Improvement of Fisheries Statistics in the Region; and (vi) Development of Common Guidelines for the Regionalization-of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (RCCRF).
ASEAN is translating the ASEAN Manual on Good Shrimp Farm Management Practices into the different national languages. The ASEAN Manuals on “Harmonization of Hatchery Production of Penaells Monodon in ASEAN” and “Practical Guidelines for the Development of High Health Penaeus Monodon Broodstock” have been finalised, reproduced and distributed to all Member Countries. As a next step, ASEAN would harmonize the testing and quarantine procedures for grouper fish species under the coordination of Malaysia.
Agricultural Training and Extension
Many member countries have already integrated their integrated pest management (IPM) in fruits and vegetables with their agricultural extension programme. The IPM training modules on corn and mango have been finalized for distribution to all member countries. Training modules of IPM on rice, shallots, pomelo, and soybean are at various stages of preparation. The ASEAN IPM Knowledge Network is being implemented to consolidate the vast collection of IPM knowledge capital that can be shared and reused by national IPM programmes in the ASEAN region.
The ASEAN IPM Donors’ Forum was successfully held in Manila on 14 March 2001. The main objective of the Forum was to generate funding support for the sustained operations of the Sub-Phases II and III of the ASEAN IPM Project.
The 9th ASEAN Farmers’ Week was held on 20-26 August 2000 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The event provided an opportunity for the farmers to shareI experiences in agricultural production and livelihood. The 10th ASEAN Farmers’ Week will be held on 24-31 July 2001, in conjunction with the Malaysia Farmers,
Livestock Rearers, and Fishermen Annual Celebration.
The ASEAN-Korea Technology Transfer Programme in Integrated Agricultural Development has been implemented on 31 October- 20 November 2000. Two seminars, namely: Seminar on Agri-business Negotiation in ASEAN and Asia-Pacific, and Seminar on Rural Women and Youth in Agricultural Development In ASEAN Member Countries, were held on 22-26 May 2000 in Bangkok, and 27 -29 June 2000 in Malacca, Malaysia, respectively.
Cooperatives
The ASEAN Working Group on Agricultural Cooperatives met on 3 April 2000 in Langkawi, Malaysia and on 20-21 April 2001 in Bangkok. Malaysia organized the International Symposium on New Approaches for Farmers’ Organization and Agricultural Cooperatives in the New Millennium on 30 March – 1 April 2000 in Langkawi, Malaysia. The symposium was attended by ASEAN member countries and representatives from Taiwan, Japan, and Korea. Myanmar organized the Exchange Visit of Cooperative Personnel and Leaders on 14-18 January 2001 in Mandalay.
As part of the strategic alliances (SA) projects, Thailand has established the website SA Project on Data and Information Exchange (www.cpd.go.th/acedac), which contains information on agricultural cooperative issues. In dairy farming, Indonesia Union Dairy Cooperatives (Gabungan Koperasi Susu Indonesia/ GKSI) has established a breeding and training center in Sukabumi, Indonesia, in cooperation with Tsukishima Foods of Tokyo.
Regional and international issues
In the cooperation on CITES, ASEAN has taken common positions and understanding on wildlife trade -related issues and influence the discussions at the Conference of Parties (COP) held in Nairobi in April 2000. On APEC’s Early Voluntary Sectoral Liberalization Programme (EVSL) for Forest Products, member countries have been urged to attend future APEC meetings to coordinate common position on forest matters. ASEAN aims to formulate joint positions and approaches (a) on the need for a legally binding instrument (LBI) or a global convention forests; (b) trade in timber and market access in consuming countries; (c) transfer of technologies on sustainable forest management (SFM) from developed countries to developing countries; and (d) financial mechanism for sustainable forest management (SFM).
In view of the importance of having an ASEAN body to discuss and coordinate ASEAN common positions at meetings of codex committees, ASEAN have established an ASEAN Task Force on Codex as a subsidiary body under the purview of SOM-AMAF. The First Meeting of the ASEAN Task Force on CODEX was held on 12-13 February 2001 in Kuala Lumpur.
To facilitate cross-border movement of agricultural products, the ASEAN Agricultural Ministers have entered into a Protocol on Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Measures to Implement the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Facilitation of Goods in Transit.
Agriculture-related Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)
ASEAN has adopted the Guidelines on Risk Assessment of Agriculture-related genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to assist member countries in evaluating the safety of GMOs and increase the understanding of this technology. A set of frequently asked questions and answers on GMOs has been compiled and posted on the ASEAN Secretariat’s website.
Cooperation in Forestry
The Guidelines on ASEAN Criteria and Indicators (C&I) for Sustainable Forest Management has been adopted by the member countries. The regional C&I will be used as a framework to guide ASEAN Member Countries in developing their own national – specific criteria, indicators and standards, which could be used to assess sustainable forest management, or for the purpose of certification.
To promote development of herbal and medicinal plants, Member Countries have adopted a standard format for the development of a database on herbal and medical plants to facilitate the exchange of information. Considering the broad scope of R&D activities, Member Countries agreed to focus on specific areas and have assigned lead countries to the activities, namely: cultivation (Indonesia), pharmacognosy and pharmacology (Myanmar), and chemistry and biological activities (Philippines). Malaysia will host a workshop on Pharmacognosical Evaluation of Medieval Plants in November 2000 at the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur.
Following the establishment of the ASEAN Forest Product Industry Club (AFPIC) to enhance the promotion of trade in ASEAN forest products through a more coordinated participation of the private sector, the First Meeting of the AFPIC was held in June 2001 in Kuala Lumpur. In another effort to promote trade, ASEAN will remove technical barriers to trade by harmonizing standards and specifications of forest products. The harmonization process will be done through the alignment of existing standards and specifications. Member Countries agreed to use the existing ASEAN fora on harmonization of standards mechanism to harmonize forest products standards and their derivative. The harmonization process will start with compilation of names of commercial wood-species.
Consultation between forestry and environment officials was held in Yangon in July 2000 to discuss collaboration in regional activities to monitor, mitigate, and prevent forest fires in the region as well as coordination and exchange of information in the area. It was decided that collaboration between ASOF and the ASEAN’s Haze Technical Task Force should be strengthened possibly by inviting ASOF representatives to future meetings of the Task Force. Member countries have been encouraged to establish inter-agency national committees to implement their respective national haze action plans.
