At the Meeting, the Ministers reviewed the progress of cooperation in those fields coming under COFAF, which held its Fifteenth Meeting in Jakarta in September 1985, and the status of projects and activities being implemented. The Ministerial Meeting also approved some new project proposals in the areas of food crops, forestry, and agricultural extension.

ASEAN Food Security Reserve

The food situation in the region continued to be as satisfactory as in the previous year. One of the developments worth noting during the past year was Brunei Darussalam's decision to participate in the ASEAN Food Security Reserve (AFSR) Scheme by committing 3,000 tonnes of for the ASEAN rice in its national stocks Emergency Rice Reserve. With Brunei Darussalam's participation, the size of the Emergency Rice Reserve stands at 53,000 tonnes. The AFSR Board at its Sixth Meeting, Singapore, December 1985, reviewed the food situation in the region and agreed that the supply of rice was sufficient to ensure food security during the year under review.

Rice production in ASEAN countries for 1984/85 was preliminarily estimated at 45.375 million tonnes, showing an increase of 5.3% from the previous year. The estimated increase was attributed to the introduction of high-yield varieties, increased planted area, and favourable weather conditions prevailing in the region. Coupled with successful government planning in the expansion of rice output by some member countries, the prospects for high rice yields for 1985 - 1986 look bright.

The ASEAN Crops Post Harvest Programme, a project under the management and supervision of the AFSR Board had implemented the following activities:

(i) a series of workshops to formulate national research and development programmes on food and feed crops post-harvest held in member countries.

(ii) a technical seminar on food and feed grain post-harvest technology, held in Manila, August 1985.

(iii) publication of a periodical relevant to crops post-harvest programmes and proceedings of workshops/seminars.

(iv) extension of assistance to on-going post- harvest projects in the region.

(v) implementation of training courses.

Tie Board of Directors of Plant Quarantine Centre & Training Institute (PLANTI) at their Tenth Meeting in Manila, in January 1986, noted that the PLANTI Centre had successfully accomplished various programmed activities which included the following:

(i) seven short-term courses on Plant Quarantine, held at the Centre in Serdang, Malaysia between July and November 1985.

(ii) three technical Meetings held in Manila, Chieng Mai and Kuala Lumpur, on:

• weeds of Plant Quarantine Importance;

• Seed-Borne Diseases in ASEAN and Seed Health Testing; and

• Procedures for Container Inspection, respectively.

(iii) a regional conference on Plant Quarantine Support for Agricultural Development was

held in Kuala Lumpur in December 1985 attended by 67 participants.

On animal quarantine, the Seventh Meeting of AMAF approved Brunei Darussalam's application to declare the country a Foot and Mouth Disease free zone.

Food Handling

The Sub-Committee on Food Handling held its 18th and 19th Meetings in Iloilo, Philippines, and Singapore in October 1985 and April 1986, respectively. The Sub-Committee successfully implemented the following activities;

(i) a practical training course on Fish Quality Control Procedures in Bogor Agricultural University, Indonesia, in July/August 1985;

(ii) delivery of 15,000 units of High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) fish containers to fishing ports in Samut Sakorn and Samut Prakarn in Thailand; 6,000 units to fishing ports in Jakarta and Pekalongan, Indonesia and 4,500 units to the Department of Fisheries, Malaysia;

(iii) the manufacture and delivery of equipment to the post harvest horticulture laboratory at the Agriculture Research Area in Sembawang Field Experimental Station in Singapore;

(iv) a third training course in Laboratory Meat Safety and Quality Control conducted in Singapore in late 1985;

(v) the completion of the ASEAN Tangkak Packinghouse in Tangkak, Malaysia, where studies on handling of horticultural products had also begun;

(vi) the completion of the installation of the equipment for the rice bran oil refinery project in the Philippines.

(i) a training course on Grain Complex Management in Alor Star, Malaysia July 1985 and two training courses on Grain Post Harvest Technology in Tambun, West Java, Indonesia in late 1985;

(ii) the completion of the new laboratory rooms at the Klong Luang Grain Processing and Storage Research Centre in Thailand, and extension buildings consisting of a laboratory and lecture rooms at Lembaga Padi Negara, Kedah, Malaysia; and

(iii) a mid-term Programme review meeting held in Cipanas, West Java, Indonesia, in November 1985 attended by 30 ASEAN participants and experts.

Pooling of Research and Technology

The ASEAN Agricultural Research and Co- ordinating Board (AARCB) reviewed its existing activities at its Sixth Meeting in Kuala Lumpur in October 1985. The Board agreed to reformulate most of its project proposals to cope with the latest status of agricultural development in ASEAN countries. The Meeting also agreed to adopt a series of programmes on the transfer of technology pertaining to horticulture to be funded by member countries which in effect would be one of AARCB's self-financing activities.

Sharing and Training of Extension Resources

The Council of ASEAN Directors of Agricultural Extension at its Ninth Meeting in Kuningan and Jakarta, Indonesia from 29 July to 3 August 1985, reviewed the progress of its activities and prepared a new project proposal, the "Modular Training on Farm Mechanization Programme in ASEAN" which was approved by the ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry at their Seventh Meeting for third party funding.

As regards the programme on the exchange of farmer leaders among ASEAN member countries, activities increased considerably.

Cooperation in Fisheries

The ASEAN - Canada Fisheries Post-harvest Technology Project and the ASEAN - UNDP Regional Small Scale Coastal Fisheries Development Project were implemented satisfactorily. In the field of fishery cooperation, the Seventh Meeting of the AMAF decided to establish the ASEAN Fisheries Development Centre (AFDC) thus enabling ASEAN to accelerate the implementation of the Ministerial Understanding on Fisheries Cooperation signed by the AMAF at their Fifth Meeting in Singapore in October 1 983.

Cooperation in Livestock

The Coordinating Group on Livestock held its Ninth Meeting in Kuala Lumpur on 30 April 1986. It finalized the technical details for the establishment of the ASEAN Poultry Disease Research and Training Centre in lpoh, Malaysia. Japan has indicated its willingness to assist the Centre through its Grant Aid and Technical Assistance Programme.

Cooperation in Forestry

The Coordinating Group on Forestry at its Tenth Meeting in Malacca, Malaysia, January 1986, reported that considerable progress had been made in the implementation of its programme of activities during the year under review including the following-.

(i) The ASEAN - New Zealand Afforestration Project, under whose management plan three training courses were successfully conducted at the project centre in Tarlac, Philippines, ASEAN countries and New Zealand continued to donate tree seeds pledged, including Gmelina arborea, Acacia mangium and Tectona grandis;

(ii) The ASEAN - Canada Forest Tree Seed Centre - Phase I of which would be implemented in 1 986. Preparations are being under- taken for implementation of Phase 11 of the project.

(iii) The ASEAN - US Watershed Project - two seminars, one workshop, one training course, one fellowship tour and one study tour to ASEAN countries were conducted. Its publications comprised three quarterly news- letters and proceedings of the 1984/1985 seminars and workshops;

(iv) The ASEAN - Canada Institute of Forest Management - Malaysia as the project host had finalized the arrangements for implementation of the project. Project experts are visiting member countries to discuss the details of activities planned.

(v) ASEAN - EC Timber Technology Centre (ATTC)

The official inauguration of the Centre, located at the Malaysian Timber Industry Board's Building, took place on 20 May 1986 and was followed by the First Meeting of the Project Steering Committee of the ATTC whereby ASEAN and EEC's experts met and considered the technical details of the Centre.

ASEAN Agricultural Development Planning Centre (ADPC)

The Eighth Meeting of the Board of Planners of ADPC, Bangkok, March 1986, finalized the project document for phase 11 of ADPC's programme of activities (1987 - 1992).

During the year under review, the Centre conducted two training programmes on agricultural project planning strategies and methodologies. These three-monthly training programmes were attended by a total of 31 ASEAN government officials.

Since its establishment in 1981, ADPC had successfully conducted 17 Training Programmes attended by 207 government officials.