Committee on Food, Agriculture and Forestry

The Twelfth and Thirteenth Meetings of the ASEAN Committee on Food, Agriculture and Forestry (COFAF) were held in Jakarta, in October 1983 and May 1984, respectively.

The ASEAN Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry also held their Fifth Meeting in Singapore in October 1983.

ASEAN Food Security Reserve

The food situation in the ASEAN region over the past three years was generally satisfactory due to sustained efforts by member countries to increase food production, especially rice.

Thus, since the signing of the Agreement on the ASEAN Food Security Reserve (AFSR) in 1980, no release of supply from the ASEAN emergency rice reserve was deemed necessary. The AFSR Board, during its Fourth Meeting in Manila, in December 1983, in evaluating the short-term prospects, expected that the food situation in ASEAN for 1984 would continue to be favourable. In order to closely monitor the development of the food situation in ASEAN, the AFSR Board introduced further improvements in the Scheme's food information and early warning system, with the following measures:

(i) a monthly review of the worldwide food situation and prospects;

(ii) a quarterly review of the food situation and prospects in the member countries, covering production forecasts as well as the supply of and demand for basic food commodities such as rice, maize, soybean and sugar.

Another significant development during the year under review was the agreement to transfer the former Southeast Asia Cooperative Post-Harvest Research and Development Programme from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) to the AFSR Board. This programme, technically and financially supported by a consortium of international agencies/ countries, will now be managed by a Programme Steering Committee.

Production of Fertilizer, Pesticides and Other Agricultural Inputs

In its report presented to the Fifth Meeting of the ASEAN Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry in October 1983, the ADPC made available data on fertilizer production and consumption during the past ten years and concluded that ASEAN had yet to reach the level of self-sufficiency in fertilizer. However, if the establishment of the ASEAN, as well as the national fertilizer manufacturing plants could be realized as planned, then it was expected that ASEAN, during the next five to ten years, would be self-sufficient in at least some of the fertilizer nutrients. The ADPC further suggested that ASEAN establish an effective monitoring system on the supply of and demand for fertilizer. The Fifth Meeting of the ASEAN Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry, also directed COFAF to study the cost-benefit of urea fertilizer production in the region.

ASEAN Quarantine Ring

Considerable progress had been made by the Plant Quarantine Centre and Training Institute (PLANTI) during the period under review. The Centre, which is located in Serdang, Malaysia, had conducted two courses on Plant Quarantine Certificate Programmes in 1983/1984, four short-term courses in 1983, and is expected to implement eight short courses in 1984. The Centre also sponsored a Masters Degree and a Post Graduate Diploma Degree Programme. To date, 19 ASEAN Officers have benefitted from these programmes. It is noted that most areas of the region are now free from major diseases, such as Foot and Mouth Disease, Rinderpest, and Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia.

The Coordinating Group on Livestock will continue to undertake and strengthen existing national activities regarding the ASEAN Quarantine Ring and maintain the region as an area free of the afore-mentioned dangerous diseases.

Pooling of Research and Technology

The ASEAN Agricultural Research Coordinating Board (AARCB) is actively monitoring COFAF's activities in the field of research, and providing advice and recommendations with a view to improving further these activities.

The Fifth Meeting of the AARCB held in Jakarta, December 1983, identified the following priority research areas:

i) Conservation and Managernent of Existing Natural Resources and Environment;

ii) Relorestation of Denuded Areas and Unproductive Forest Land;

iii) Forest Resources Managerrient and Efticiency in the Productive Utilization of Forest lands;

iv) Fast Growing Forest Species for Fuel-Wood, Pulp and Paper Production;

v) Agro-forestry;

vi) Production and Utilization of Bamboo and Rattan;

vii) Development ot Wood-based Industries and Their Respective Products; and

viii) Timber Marketing and Trade.

The Australian-supported ASEAN Food Handling Programme progressed satisfactorily. The Programme consists of several activities aimed at improving tire capability and overcoming various problems as well as developing new technology in post-harvest handling of grains, horticulture, fish and livestock products. The main achievements are as follows:

i) improvement in research and development capability in horticulture, packing- house operations and quality control as well as on extension activities such as training for farmers, etc;

(ii) training course on Laboratory Meat Safety and Quality Control in Singapore and iri)proved equipment for dairy development such as milk cooling unit, transfer tanks, etc; and

iii) successful implementation of the returnable container system for fish at the- Bangkok Fish Market. The project has now fully recovered the initial costs and is expected to be self-generating, with transfer of technology from Australia.

Sharing and Training of Extension Resources

The Council of ASEAN Directors of Extension (CADEX) during its Seventh Meeting in Kuala Lumpur in February, 1984, agreed to improve the programme on exchange of information and sharing of experiences, which would take the form of:

i) holding of farmer-weeks, where key-farmers from ASEAN member countries would be invited to participate; and

ii) exchanging training curricula and lectures;

i) developing an effective and efficient delivery system for extension and other social services for the rural population; and

ii) improving and strengthening training programmes in development support communications and related fields for ASEAN Workers in agriculture and rural development.

The Coordinating Group on Crops, held its Fourth Meeting in Manila in December 1983.

On irrigation and water management, COFAF agreed that, pending the availability of funds from third parties, the ASEAN Centre for Irrigation System Management (CISMA) begin undertaking preparatory activities, such as exchange of information and training programmes on irrigation system management. These activities would improve water management at the farm level with a view to increasing further agricultural output in the region,

Cooperation in Fisheries

Cooperation in the field of fisheries continued to progress. Several project proposals have been submitted to dialogue partners for possible assistance. The Fisheries Post-harvest Technology project is presently being implemented. Besides, a detailed workplan for the implementation of the Regional Small-Scale Coastal Fisheries Development Project is being formulated with possible funding from UNDP. One significant aspect was the signing of a Ministerial Understanding on Fisheries Cooperation by the ASEAN Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry at their Fifth Meeting held in Singapore in October 1983, during which the Ministers agreed to take necessary action for cooperative efforts in the following areas:

i) management and conservation of the fisheries resources of the Exclusive Economic Zones in the ASEAN region;

ii) sharing and transfer of technology at all levels to improve the socioeconomic status of the fishermen;

iii) all aspects of aquaculture to increase production and income of fish farmers;

iv) all aspects of Post-harvest Technology in support of production and marketing efforts;

v) promoting the trade and marketing of fish and fishery products among the ASEAN countries as well as with other countries;

vi) identifying common areas for commercial cooperation in fisheries; and

vii) working towards a common stand and understanding on regional and international matters in fisheries;

The Coordinating Group on Livestock, convened its Sixth Meeting in Kuala Lumpur in September 1983 and Seventh Meeting in Bandung in February 1984.

Animal quarantine is one component of the ASEAN Quarantine Ring. ASEAN attaches great importance in its efforts to eradicate animal diseases and thus established the ASEAN Animal Quarantine Ring.

At the Sixth ASEAN - New Zealand dialogue held in Wellington in November 1983, New Zealand agreed to continue to assist ASEAN in conducting workshops on the Veterinary Administration Development Programme (VADP) over the next three years.

Cooperation in Forestry

The First ASEAN Forestry Congress was convened in Manila, in October 1983, as a follow up action to the Jakarta Consensus on Tropical Forestry, signed by the ASEAN Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry in August 1981. The "Manila Declaration on ASEAN Tropical Forestry of the First ASEAN Forestry Congress", comprised, amongst others, the following:

i) Maintaining adequate natural forests in each member country consistent with the biological and environmental requirements of the region, while at the same time, increasing their productivity through the application of appropriate agricultural practices;

ii) Utilizing more lesser-known species of timber;

iii) Accelerating the establishment of industrial forest plantations for appropriate species in suitable areas as a supplemental source of raw materials for the wood-based industries;

iv) Upgrading of the management capability of national parks; and

v) Developing effective education and extension programmes to enlighten the population on the benefits of the forest.

i) Forest Resource Conservation and Management

a) Industrial Plantation Programme

- ASEAN New Zealand Afforestation Project in Philippines - New Zealand agreed to extend the project for another three years to November 1987.

- ASEAN - Canada Forest Tree Seed Centre in Thailand, operational since January 1983, has also made significant progress.

b) Watershed Forestry Programme

Project Document on Watershed Conservation and Management Research project was signed between ASEAN and the US in July 1983.

Based on the results and recommendations of the study on Commercialization of Timber Resources carried out by ASEAN and EC experts, the Twelfth COFAF Meeting recommended the establishment of an ASEAN Timber Technology Centre (ATTC) be located in Malaysia.

iii) Common Approach on International Matters

The ASEAN Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry, at their Fifth Meeting, supported Indonesia's offer to have the headquarters of the proposed International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) in Jakarta.

ASEAN Agricultural Development Planning Centre (ADPC)

Development of the Centre has been going on satisfactorily. The Centre, established in August 1980 with financial assistance from the USAID, aims at strengthening the planning capabilities of agricultural development planners in the region through the conduct of training programmes. To date, 12 training courses participated by 144 ASEAN officials have been conducted.

The project document on ASEAN - UNDP Project assistance for Agricultural Project Formulation, Monitoring and Evaluation was signed in Bangkok in June 1984.

For more information, please refer to the project details