Challenges in Lao crop sector discussed in the country’s newly launched ‘Development Strategy’

Challenges in Lao crop sector discussed in the country’s newly launched ‘Development Strategy’

In Lao PDR, the population is forecasted to reach 7,5 million and 8.3 million in 2020 and 2025 respectively and these figures do not include tourists who visit the country by 3 million times per year, according to the ‘Development Strategy of the Crop Sector 2015 and Vision 2030’ recently launched by Lao’s Department of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

Rice field in Vang Vieng, Lao PDR

To support the population growth, countries around the world are requested to increase 60 per cent of the current world food production.

However, according to the ‘Development Strategy of the Crop Sector’ challenges in Lao PDR comprise changes in land use and climate, and low quality of agricultural products and commodities.

In Lao PDR, more land under food and cash crops keeps changing to other crops such as industrial crops and the changes leads to land use conflicts. Changes in crop land will continue until relevant regulations and land tenure are strictly enforced.

Besides, an average amount of rainfall is estimated to increase by 4.2 per cent with more natural calamities such as floods and droughts that result in rice insufficiency and food insecurity, and further result in a delay in planting and lower production in some areas along the Mekong River and its tributaries. It is noted that an increase in temperature (greenhouse gas) will have detrimental effects on crop productivity especially crops that prefer low temperature. It is also noted that the rising temperature is a possible cause for a higher incidence of pests and weeds that leads to more investment and results in a higher food price.

Agricultural products of Lao PDR are seen with low quality. One reason is that the low quality agricultural products in Lao PDR result from a scattered farming, low farm infrastructures and technology, and less quality control and those products will not be traded and exported.

Integrating the Lao economy into the world and regional economies is an important factor that contributes to growth of the agriculture sector and that provides an opportunity for agricultural products of Lao PDR to enter international and regional markets.

At the same period, agricultural products and commodities from other countries will enter Lao PDR and they will share domestic markets. It is, therefore, necessary to improve quality of agricultural products and commodities of Lao PDR to meet regional and international market requirements such as food safety. It is noted that relevant regulations on sanitary and phytosanitary, quality control and certification need to be strictly enforced for meeting the requirements applied by WTO.

Young tomatoes

Agricultural products and commodities in Lao PDR need to be certified for quality and food safety, and thus quality certification and control for organic agriculture (OA), Good Agriculture Practice (GAP) and other forms of farming are key measures for exporting commodities. In this connection, the crop sector in Lao PDR needs to formulate and develop policies and regulations for improving farming practices that ensures food safety and acceptable quality.

The Lao’s ‘Development Strategy of the Crop Sector 2025’ is one of the strategic documents, which include an analysis of crop production and development of the crop sector which has been carried out recently. The strategy contains vision, objectives and goals for development of the crop sector in Lao PDR until 2025.

[wpdm_package id=’1342′]

The ‘Development Strategy’ is formulated with an aim of providing a policy reference for short, medium and long term development planning and for implementation of the Lao government’s policies, laws, regulations, national socio-economic development plans, and regional and international integration. A focus has been given to production of food and cash crops that is safe for producers, consumers and the environment, development for technical capacity, plant protection and plant quarantine, establishment of standards, regulations and information systems that can be integrated internationally and regionally. Focus has also been given to allocation of land areas for cultivation of food crops and cash crops by being based on the local conditions such as natural resources, cultures and local knowledge. A further focus has been given to sustainable management of farming systems, resources and water resources, and allocation of agriculture land in the whole country.

Policy Dialogues organized in Lao PDR and Myanmar discussing priority actions for improving national food and nutrition security

Policy Dialogues organized in Lao PDR and Myanmar discussing priority actions for improving national food and nutrition security

With a new set of Sustainable Development Goals on the table to be formally adopted by world leaders at the UN Sustainable Development Summit on 25 – 27 September 2015, food and nutrition security remains one of the top priorities of the post-2015 global development agenda.

A high level Policy Dialogue on Food and Nutrition Security and the ASEAN Integrated Food Security (AIFS) Framework in Lao PDR was held on 10 July 2015 in Vientiane.

The governments of Lao PDR and Myanmar showed their commitments in the fight against hunger by launching the National Zero Hunger Challenge (ZHC) which aims to eradicate hunger and ensure food security for all.

In June this year, Lao PDR and Myanmar have received special FAO awards for their achievements in the fight against hunger. Both countries have reached the Millennium Development Goal (MDG-1c) which aimed to reduce the proportion of people who suffer from hunger by half between 1990 and 2015. According to the State of Food Insecurity in the World 2015 published by FAO, IFAD and WFP, the prevalence of undernourishment has decreased from 42.8% in 1990-92 to 18.5% in Lao PDR while in Myanmar the prevalence has decreased from 62.6% to 14.2%.

The governments of Lao PDR and Myanmar reiterated the importance of food and nutrition security for their countries by organizing the Policy Dialogue on Food and Nutrition Security and the ASEAN Integrated Food Security (AIFS) Framework in collaboration with a German regional cooperation project’s ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems (ASEAN SAS) on 10 July 2015 in Vientiane and in Nay Pyi Taw on 3 September 2015. Both events brought together stakeholders from concerned Ministries, Development Partners, Civil Society Organizations and the private sector. The Dialogues provided a platform to discuss and exchange information on key challenges, issues and roles of responsible agencies and the contribution of Sustainable Agrifood Systems towards food security and to agree on recommendations, priority actions and cooperation mechanism to foster collective efforts in implementing national policies and strategies which are in accordance with regional and global policy frameworks for food and nutrition security including the AIFS Framework.

Lao PDR and Myanmar have received special FAO awards for their achievements in the fight against hunger.
(From left) U Soe Win, Director of Land Use Division, U Aung Kyaw Oo, Director of Plant Protection Division and U Naing Kyi Win, Deputy Director-General of Department of Agriculture, Myanmar give an interview about the Policy Dialogue to a journalist from Farmer Channel.

Lao PDR has implemented a number of policies and strategies to strengthen food and nutrition security in the country including the Agricultural Development Strategy to 2025 and Vision to 2030, the Rice Production for National Food Security Action Plan, and the National Nutrition Strategy and Plan of Action for 2010 – 2015. The Policy Dialogue highlighted the importance of Sustainable Agrifood Systems, Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), sustainable water management, research and development, promotion of farmers groups, and Public-Private Partnerships in ensuring food security in the country. To achieve national food and nutrition security in Lao PDR, the Policy Dialogue recommended that more efforts should be put into strengthening cooperation among agencies at national and local levels, measuring of progress and achievements of food and nutrition security interventions, and providing capacity development of both government personnel and farmers. 

Myanmar is in the process of finalizing the Myanmar National Action Plan for Food and Nutrition Security (MNAPFNS) to be launched by the end of 2015. The Action Plan shall offer a 10-year vision and timeframe providing an overarching framework and priority interventions to guide sectoral operational plans. To strengthen food and nutrition security in the country, the Policy Dialogue identified priority actions which include policy, institutional and legislative improvements, development of enabling support to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), product and product standard development, development of market and price information systems, nutrition improvement, and access to finance and investment. In view of continuation to develop sustainable agriculture and ensuring its contribution to national food and nutrition security, the Policy Dialogue put an emphasis on management of natural resources, effective use and optimization of agricultural inputs, climate smart agriculture, harvesting and post-harvest efficiency, capacity development and effective extension services, and investment in agribusiness and value chain development.

The Policy Dialogue on Food and Nutrition Security and the ASEAN Integrated Food Security (AIFS) Framework in Myanmar was held in Nay Pyi Taw on 3 September 2015.

To support the implementation of the new Action Plan and relevant policies and strategies, the Policy Dialogue recommended that Myanmar should provide capacity development of government officials, develop food and nutrition security monitoring and evaluation, and strengthen inter-agency collaboration and partnership with other stakeholders in agriculture such as private sector, civil society, academic and research institutes.

ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems Project took note the discussions and recommendations from these Policy Dialogues to provide further support to Lao PDR, Myanmar and other ASEAN Member States to strengthen their capacities in implementing food and nutrition security policies and strategies that are in line with regional and global policy frameworks. Tailor-made trainings on food and nutrition security at national level are being planned in collaboration with the local partners to address the needs and priority actions raised during the Policy Dialogues.

By Duangruetai Surasakjinda, ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems

High level ‘Policy Dialogue’ discussing national policies on food and nutrition security in Myanmar

High level ‘Policy Dialogue’ discussing national policies on food and nutrition security in Myanmar

Myanmar has been preparing the Development of National Action Plan for Food and Nutrition Security (2015), which will provide a strategy for strengthening the agricultural food and energy sector, including nutritious food production. U Naing Kyi Win, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Agriculture said during his opening and keynote speech at a high level policy dialogue on Food and Nutrition Security and the ASEAN Integrated Food Security (AIFS) Framework at New Ayar Hotel in Nay Pyi Taw on 3rd September 2015.

GIZ team with moderators and panelists for the Policy Dialogue

U Naing Kyi Win highlighted the importance of food and nutrition security in Myanmar through its commitment to eradicate poverty and hunger. He stated that a number of national level initiatives have been undertaken for development of policy and institutional reforms for poverty reduction, national economic development, and human resource development in Myanmar. He believed that this Policy Dialogue would play a significant role in addressing long-term food security and improvement of the livelihood of farmers not only in Myanmar but also in ASEAN Member States.

At the Dialogue, he also emphasised the effort of the Myanmar Government in addressing food security at the regional level by engaging in the development process of the AIFS Framework and its Strategic Plan of Action on Food Security in the ASEAN Region (SPA-FS), 2015 – 2020 and by fulfilling an obligation in providing emergency food stocks to the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR).

The Department of Agriculture of the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation hosted the High Level Policy Dialogue on Food and Nutrition Security and the ASEAN Integrated Food Security (AIFS) Framework. The German regional cooperation project’s ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems (ASEAN SAS) supported the event. The project is part of the ASEAN-German Programme on Response to Climate Change in Agriculture and Forestry (GAP-CC) and is being implemented by GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH).

During a presentation by Mr. Suriyan Vichitlekarn, Senior Regional Advisor of ASEAN SAS

The policy dialogue provided a platform to discuss and exchange information and agree on recommendations, concrete actions and coordination mechanisms to implement national policies and strategies on food and nutrition security in Myanmar in accordance with national, regional, and global policy frameworks. The AIFS Framework, adopted by the ASEAN leaders in 2009, is thereby the key regional framework for Myanmar. The event brought together stakeholders from the Myanmar Government, Development Partners, Civil Society Organisations and the private sector.

Ms. Pouchamarn Wongsanga, Senior Regional Coordinator of the GIZ’s ASEAN SAS highlighted in her welcoming remarks the German efforts to strengthen food and nutrition security through promotion of sustainable agrifood systems under the AIFS Framework. By this, long-term food security and improved livelihoods of farmers could be achieved.

She emphasised that the Policy Dialogue was a crucial step that would lay a foundation for practical implementation of relevant policies and strategies on food and nutrition security in Myanmar. The experiences and opinions to be shared during this Dialogue would be integrated into final recommendations and commitments that would help making progress towards achieving sustainable food production and food security in Myanmar.

Ms. Pouchamarn Wongsanga, Senior Regional Advisor thanked the Department of Agriculture for hosting the event.

ASEAN SAS provides technical assistance to ASEAN Member States of which a number of cooperation activities have been implemented both at national level in Myanmar and in the ASEAN region. Myanmar has been participating in ASEAN SAS activities including the development of the ASEAN Guidelines on the Regulation, Use and Trade of Biological Control Agents (BCA), which were endorsed by ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF) in 2014, and the ongoing development of the ASEAN Guidelines on Soil and Nutrient Management, and various capacity development activities to promote food and nutrition security and sustainable agrifood systems.

By definition at the World Food Summit in 1996, food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. Sustainable Agrifood systems are a long-term approach towards food security in the ASEAN region as it responds to the region’s special needs. Best practices to achieve sustainable agriculture, to optimise production inputs and the farming practices that integrate climate resilience are being identified and shared. Environment-friendly approaches and the reduction of pesticide use have also come into play to produce safe and good quality agrifood products.

About the ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems (ASEAN SAS) project

Overall objective of the ASEAN SAS project is to support ASEAN Member States to implement the ASEAN Integrated Food Security (AIFS) Framework and its Strategic Plan of Action on Food Security in the ASEAN Region (SPA-FS). The project focuses on the promotion of sustainable food production at the national level and development of regionally-coordinated policies and strategies for sustainable agriculture as solutions for long-term food security in the region. This includes the promotion of cross-border value chains in concert with public decision-makers, agricultural enterprises as well as farmers and private associations.

Group photo of participants to the Policy Dialogue

MoU signed in Indonesia highlighting environmentally friendly production to meet increasing food demands

MoU signed in Indonesia highlighting environmentally friendly production to meet increasing food demands

ASEAN-German Programme on Response to Climate Change in Indonesia (GAP-CC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding between GIZ Indonesia and Indonesia Agency for Agriculture Research and Development (IAARD), Ministry of Agriculture Republic of Indonesia on 14 July 2015 in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Left to Right: Mr.Peter Palesch, Dr.Agung Hendriadi, and Thomas Heindrichs

“Through GAP-CC, GIZ has ambitious plans to contribute to environmentally friendly agricultural development in Indonesia and the region. To put those plans into practice, we have to work in partnership and bring different stakeholders from the public and private sector together,” said Mr. Peter Palesch, GIZ Country Director Indonesia, Timor-Leste and ASEAN.

The ASEAN-German Programme on Response to Climate Change in Agriculture and Forestry or GAP-CC, aims at enhancing food security in ASEAN in the face of climate change and the increasing global demand for food. On the ASEAN level, the programme promotes regional cooperation by advancing the ASEAN policy framework and strengthening networks of ASEAN Member States.

Mr. Palesch has confirmed that the programme also works on the national level on the one hand, and put regional policies and guidelines into practice on the ground, to generate lessons learned that can contribute to regional exchange, collaboration and policy making.

“As a major agricultural producer as well as a large market for food crops, Indonesia plays a crucial role with regards to food security in ASEAN,” Mr. Palesch said during the MoU signing event at IAARD Office Jakarta.

In addition, Head of Programme GAP-CC, Mr. Thomas Heindrichs has mentioned during the signing event that while we are to formalize the collaboration between the IAARD and GIZ, we have already been working together on the GAP-CC programme for quite some times. On the national level, IAARD, through the Indonesia Center for Rice Research, has been playing an important role in the development of training modules on sustainable rice production. The training are now disseminated to rice farmers in Indonesia through a public private partnership initiative called the Better Rice Initiative Asia (BRIA). On the regional level, IAARD has been involved in the formation of the ASEAN Climate Resilience Network and contributed to related activities like the Study on the Promotion of Climate Resilience for Food Security in ASEAN.

Executive Secretary of Indonesian Agency for Agriculture Research and Development (IAARD), Ministry of Agriculture Republic of Indonesia, Dr. Agung Hendriadi has appreciated the cooperation, and hoped the results of the environmentally friendly innovation can be shared and implemented at local, national, regional or global level.

“Establishing a network in the scheme of dissemination of agricultural technology will certainly strengthen the collective efforts to improve agricultural production and to achieve food security” said Dr. Hendriadi.

As a country with 250 million of population, and to reach food self-sufficiency, Indonesia will escalate the efforts to achieve 82.09 million tons paddy, 24.7 million tons of Maize, 2.9 million tons of Soybean, 3.8 million tons of Sugar, and 0.58 million tons of Beef by year 2019.
“These targets will be achieved if an average annual production of each commodity reaches 3.06 percent for paddy, 5.25% for maize, 28.23% for soybeans, 7.81% for sugar and 9.85% for beef,” Dr. Hendriadi said.

Besides agriculture research institutes at national level, the IAARD also have 33 Assessment Institute of Agricultural Technology (AIAT) in every province in Indonesia. These institutes are responsible for assessment, development as well as promotion of local specific technology.

Left to Right: Executive Secretary of IAARD (Dr. Agung Hendriadi) Representative ASEAN SAS Indonesia (Giri Arnawa) and Country Director GIZ, (Mr.Peter Palesch) discussed an important of cooperation for sustainable agriculture through an exchange and transfer of technologies

“The IAARD welcomes the cooperation with GIZ under GAP-CC programme particularly on ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems Project (ASEAN SAS) which include the Better Rice Initiative Asia (BRIA), Forestry and Climate Change (FOR-CC) that are in line with the goal and expectation of the IAARD,” said Dr. Hendriadi in his speech during the MoU signing in Jakart. The event has been attended by representatives of agriculture research institutes in Indonesia, and representatives of ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems, as well as Forestry and Climate Change team in Indonesia.

By Giri Arnawa, ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems

Be responsible, be profitable and be proud

Be responsible, be profitable and be proud

Father and daughter exploring Thailand’s fruit juice standard in improving Cambodian SMEs market

Heang Srun and his daughter Rothany Srun want to develop their own fruit juice business in Cambodia, Mr. Srun’s home land.

Dr. Vinai Pitipont, Permanent Executive Technical Consultant to the Deputy Director takes Mr. Heang and Ms. Rothany Srun, entrepreneurs, for a tour at Central Lab Thai

Mr. Srun traveled from Minnesota, USA to meet his daughter in Bangkok, Thailand. Ms. Srun flew from Phnom Penh, Cambodia to see her father. They were going to visit four fruit production factories, one manufacturer, and one laboratory to learn about food standard and quality in the Thai food and beverage industry.

The four-day study trip was organized by German’s ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems (ASEAN SAS) with its goal to heighten food safety and quality standard in ASEAN countries.

“Cambodian market itself in terms of production and manufacturing has been hit with so many scandals in relation to what sort of pesticide and chemical get put in the food. The SMEs in Cambodia want to improve their product safety and quality. They know that this will actually improve their business and also trust in their brand,” said Ms. Srun, a US born citizen, who has been working in Cambodia for the past five years in communication and organization development.

“From what I hear, a lot of Cambodians are interested in developing their own country that they have something to be proud of at better quality and higher standard,” she said.

Sample test at Central Lab Thai

On a personal note, Ms. Srun said she was very concerned about the food she ate and if she was going to start a food production factory of her family, she wanted to be able to eat the food she produces. “I am really concerned about the food I eat that what sort of ingredients they are putting into the food if there’s pesticide and chemical residues in the vegetable and the food I am eating. I want to be able to actually produce something I could also eat. I don’t want to eat pesticide and I don’t’ want to eat chemical,” she said.

This four-day study visit was planned and organized by a fruit juice factory auditor of Sure and Global Fair (SGF), a German based self-control association for fruit juice safety and quality assurance, a public private partnership of ASEAN SAS on a project “Improvement of product safety and quality for the Thai fruit juice industry” with the aim of improving the production processes of fruit juice in the Thailand.

ASEAN SAS supports responsible agriculture production for safe, healthy and affordable food to meet an increasing demand of a growing populations while, at the same time, protecting a shrinking natural resources. The Agrifood systems will only be sustainable when the value chain including, for example, farmers, processors, traders, and input suppliers are profitable while securing food safety and quality standard.

Mr. Suriyan Vichitlekarn, Regional Adviser of ASEAN SAS (far left) gives introduction on fruit juice safety and quality standard to entrepreneur.

“ASEAN SAS seeks to collaborate with serious private partners to adopt food safety and quality standard and link to the market. This also includes supporting SMEs in getting benefit from ASEAN Economy Community,” said Mr. Suriyan Vichitlekarn, regional adviser of GIZ’s ASEAN SAS project.

One of the ASEAN SAS’s activities is providing advisory support for responsible business development.

Mr. Srun, business entrepreneur and vice president of QTS manufacturing for medical device outsourcing said: “Business is business, but we want to do business with responsibility. For us standard is about responsibility. For a lot of private business, at least in Cambodia, it costs money. But we want to improve the society and the community. It’s not like the rich taking advantage of the poor. We don’t want to only make money and take advantage of the consumers and our employees.

“We want to create jobs for Cambodian people that they can make a basic living and pursue their other interests and enjoy life. People are people. It doesn’t matter if they are Thais, Americans or Cambodians, but they should be able to enjoy life as people.

Testing Room at Central Lab Thai, Bangkok, Thailand

“We want to see Cambodian people live and eat well in their own country and make enough for their family that they don’t have to find work in other countries living in a harsh condition. We are proud that we can help people,” he said. Mr. Srun was born in Cambodia and moved to the US for over 20 years.

Ms. Srun also said about responsible business and standard that: “We talk about responsible social practice but at the end of the day it needs to be profitable. How you can talk to them [SMES] that standard can improve and widen their market scope in the future and why it should be important to them. I want to be able to show that these sorts of things are possible to do in Cambodia that you can be profitable and you can still also follow international standard.

“Food standard is important for food production if you want a better market, better product, and better image of the country,” she said.

In this four-day study visit the father-and-daughter entrepreneurs visited the pineapple product factories, coconut product factory, beverage factory, and laboratory and machinery manufacturer. The study trip was specifically designed to fit the needs and future business possibilities of the visitors.

“I like the variety of what we saw, we saw the big factory, we saw the smaller factory, and even not factory, but laboratory and manufacturer. After the visit, I saw that so many other SMEs would also benefit from it, and they would be very much interested in learning from it. It is not only about visiting the factories in Thailand but if we connect other SMEs in utilizing the different services available here [laboratory and machinery manufacturer] that are not available in Cambodia, it will eventually help their business, help them to improve the quality,” said the Ms. Srun.

By Rojana Manowalailao, ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems (ASEAN SAS)

From left: Ms. Napaporn Rattanametta, Auditor of Sure and Global Fair and Project Manager on Food Safety for ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems; Chamoy Thonglue, Vice President of Central Lab Thai’s Bangkok Branch, Ms. Rothany Srun and Mr. Heang Srun and Dr. Vinai Pitipont, Permanent Executive Technical Consultant to the Deputy Director

Policy Dialogue on Food and Nutrition Security for Myanmar to be held in Nay Pyi Taw

Policy Dialogue on Food and Nutrition Security for Myanmar to be held in Nay Pyi Taw

The meeting of GIZ with U Kyaw Shwe the Director General of the Department of Agriculture (DoA) of Myanmar to discuss the preparation of the Policy Dialogue on Food and Nutrition Security for Myanmar will take place on 23 June 2015 in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar. The Dialogue aims to provide a platform for exchange of information and to build consensus on policies and strategies for tackling food insecurity within the country.

About 30 participants from concerned agencies under the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, the Ministry of Forestry, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Livestock, Fisheries and Rural Development, the Ministry of National Planning and the Ministry of Commerce are expected to attend the Dialogue.

Food security has been recognised as an important agenda in ASEAN Member States (AMS). Economic crisis and hikes in food prices have a widespread on the nutritional and health status of global people, especially in the developing countries. During the period of 2011 to 2013, an estimated 842.3 million people were undernourished, according to FAO and a large number of people are facing with hunger. Rapid population growth with high food demand has also brought the pressure on food security in Asia.

In addressing long term food security and improve the livelihood of farmers in the region, the ASEAN Integrated Food Security (AIFS) Framework was adopted by ASEAN at the 14th ASEAN Summit in 2009 to provide scope and joint pragmatic approaches for cooperation among AMS. The ASEAN leaders reiterated the importance to develop a common and unified position to ensure sustainable food security and nutrition in ASEAN and endorsed the new phase of AIFS Framework and SPA-FS, 2015-2020 at the 25th ASEAN Summit held in November 2014 in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar.

The government of Myanmar is committed and places first priority on national as well as ASEAN regional food security and nutrition.

The government of Myanmar is now preparing on Development of Food Security and Nutrition Plan (2015), which provided a Strategy for Strengthening the Agricultural Sector, Food and Energy Security, and nutritious food production. Myanmar has to fulfill her obligation of providing emergency food stocks for regional food security. The government of Myanmar has also given priority to reduction 16 % poverty in the nation and adopts the Nation Plan in 2011, which provide the strategy for strengthening the agricultural sector and food security.

In supporting the implementation of AIFS Framework and SPA-FS, ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood System (SAS) Project was launched in 2014 as continuation of the ASEAN Biocontrol Project (2011-2013). The project is commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and being implemented by German International Cooperation (GIZ). It aims at developing regionally coordinated policies and strategies for sustainable agriculture and food production system.

To promote the implementation of the AIFS Framework, it is important to enhance the understanding and awareness on food security and AIFS framework among policy makers and concerned agencies. This would be also useful for the development of policies and strategies to improve food security in Myanmar in response to the new phase of AIFS Framework and SPA-FS, 2015-2020.

The government of Myanmar is now preparing Development of Food Security and Nutrition Plan (2015) which provided a Strategy for Strengthening the Agricultural Sector, Food and Energy Security, and nutritious food productions.

Juicy taste but safety first

Juicy taste but safety first

A presentation highlighting product safety and quality for Thai fruit juice industry

Fruit juice industry in Thailand is enjoying a fruitful tree climbing rate with a total market of Baht 12,000 million in 2014. The last year’s total growth rate is at 13 percent.

Ms. Napaporn Rattanametta

Napaporn Rattanametta, a Project Manager on Food Safety for ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems Project started her presentation with these facts and figures at the “Seminar on EU Import Control and Food Safety Management at the border: Case study at Frankfurt International Airport” on 25 May 2015 in Nonthaburi, Thailand.

Participants consisted of officials from central and regional agencies, manufacturers, small and medium size exporters roughly about 100 persons.

Her 45-minute session focused on “Improving Product Safety and Quality for Thai Fruit Juice Industry”. A slide after slide in her presentation showed quite shocking pictures of the ‘Before’ and ‘After’ of the fruit juice factories before and after her advisory assistances. Areas to be improved, for example, included fresh fruit quality, fruit washing machine, personal hygiene, plant hygiene, contamination risk reduction and maintenance programme.

She also presented the ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems Project’s market survey results on Thai fruit juice in 2012 and 2014. As a result for declared “100 % Guava juice”, only approximately 40 per cent of juice content could be detected in the analysed sample. Meanwhile, in the sample “100 % strawberry” only 20 per cent juice content could be detected.  Having been working in the fruit juice industry for over 12 years, Ms. Rattanametta has carried fruit juice factory inspections in a number of factories and conducted training and skill development programmes for fruit juice factory staff across Thailand and Vietnam.

Ms. Napaporn is also a certified auditor for Sure Global Fair (SGF), a global voluntary certification system for fruit processing industry based in Germany.

SGF and the ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems Project under Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) or German International Cooperation in English are supporting the Thai fruit juice industry in a private partnership project “Improved Product Safety and Quality for the Thai Fruit Juice Industry” in its efforts to comply with the requirements of the international market. The common objective is to increase safety and quality of Thai fruit juice products in accordance with national and international recognized standards, for example: assure legal and industrial safety and quality standards; maintain fair competition; support the positive reputation of healthy and natural fruit juice products; and ensure consumer satisfaction.

By Rojana Manowalailao, ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems

Thailand’s 1st Policy Dialogue on Food and Nutrition Security calls for stronger cooperation mechanisms

Thailand’s 1st Policy Dialogue on Food and Nutrition Security calls for stronger cooperation mechanisms

by  Lisa  Faust

Most of the 805 million people who do not have enough to eat in the world, live in countries that have food surpluses rather than deficits. Thailand – the world’s leading exporter of rice and fruits and referred to as the “Kitchen of the World” – too suffers from this paradox. The underlying reason behind why 6.8 percent (FAO, 2014) of the Thai population is considered undernourished is thus not a lack of food availability, but rather insufficient access to food.

From left: Mr. David Oberhuber, Country Director, GIZ Thailand; Ms. Jantida Meedech, Office of Agricultural Economics; Ms. Bangjongjit Angsusingh, Department of Foreign Trade Ministry of Commerce; Dr. Apichart Pongsrihadulchai, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives; Dr. Surmsuk Salakpetch, Department of Agriculture; Mr. Chaisiri Mahantachaisakul, National Bureau of Agricultural Commodity and Food Standards; and Dr. Rangsit Poosiripinyo, Office of Agricultural Economics

This challenge is particularly prevalent in many remote areas and has been exacerbated by a steady increase in food prices and production costs throughout the past decade. Other major obstacles to ensuring food security in Thailand include insufficient nutrition, poverty, climate change, an ageing farmer’s population coupled with their deteriorating health, and inadequate soil and water management.

These issues were raised and discussed at Thailand’s first ‘Policy Dialogue on Food and Nutrition Security and the ASEAN Integrated Food Security (AIFS) Framework in Thailand’, which was organized in Bangkok on 31 March 2015, by the ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems (SAS) project. Commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the SAS project aims to enable ASEAN Member States in implementing the ASEAN Integrated Food Security (AIFS) Framework, and its Strategic Plan of Action on Food Security (SPA-FS) at national level.

To ensure long-term food and nutrition security, as well as improve the livelihoods of farmers across the entire ASEAN region, the ASEAN Integrated Food Security (AIFS) Framework was adopted by the Member states at the 14th ASEAN Summit in 2009 to provide scope and joint pragmatic approaches for cooperation among ASEAN Member States. The ASEAN leaders reiterated the importance to develop a common and unified position to ensure sustainable food security and nutrition in ASEAN and endorsed the new phase of AIFS Framework and SPA-FS, 2015-2020 at the 25th ASEAN Summit held in November 2014 in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar.

With over 60 participants from various agencies and ministries in Thailand, including high level policy makers from relevant Ministries, the Policy Dialogue provided a platform for exchange of information and to build consensus on policies and strategies for tackling food insecurity within Thailand collectively.

The government of Thailand has given priority to food security as highlighted in the Eleventh National Economic and Social Development Plan (2012-2016), which provided a Strategy for Strengthening the Agricultural Sector, Food and Energy Security. The importance of food security is as well emphasized in the Strategic Framework for Food Security of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (2013-2016) to promote sustainable food production and access to quality and nutritious food,

said Dr. Apichart Pongsrihadulchai, Vice Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, during his keynote speech at the Policy Dialogue. 

There was census among participants in the following: Firstly, the need to revise the mechanisms of the existing food security Frameworks in Thailand and their implementation. Clear roles and responsibilities have to be assigned to the relevant ministries, private sector and other actors, in order ensure a better understanding among every stakeholder involved. Secondly, as effective implementation of technical solutions is often hindered by limited collaboration between stakeholders, participants call for a concrete cooperation mechanism that facilitates and mandates coordination between the private and public sector. Thirdly, at the ASEAN level, improved cooperation and communication is necessary between the different ASEAN Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry reporting food security bodies and parallel initiatives. This will enable a more fluid sharing and exchange of information, lessons learnt and experiences between the ASEAN Member States.

“Agriculture is a key sector in terms of social and economic development for Thailand. Though Thailand is considered an advanced country in terms of food security, however, issues and challenges still remain and require collaboration and coordination among relevant ministries, private sector and stakeholders in addressing the issues,”

said Mr. David Oberhuber, Country Director of GIZ Thailand, in his speech at the Policy Dialogue.

To follow-up on the outcomes of this Policy Dialogue, SAS project will organise a second Policy Dialogue on Food and Nutrition Security in early 2017. It is hoped that these Policy Dialogues can contribute towards Thailand’s progress in creating food production systems that incorporate economic, social and environmental dimensions, and eliminate poverty and hunger across the nation.

Progress updates on development of the ASEAN’s Soil and Nutrient Management Guidelines

Progress updates on development of the ASEAN’s Soil and Nutrient Management Guidelines

Scope of contents of the Guidelines on Soil and Nutrient Management was finalized at the 2nd regional meeting of the ASEAN Expert Group on Soil and Nutrient Management (SNM) in Singapore on 28-29 April 2015. The Meeting agreed to shape up the SNM Guidelines content to include: Chapter I: Properties and issues of soils in ASEAN Member States; Chapter II: Good soil management practices; Chapter III: Good nutrient management practices; Chapter IV: Standards, regulations and market information of fertilizer and supplements; and Chapter V: Recommendations on Soil and Nutrient Management.

Brunei News features the national consultation meeting conducted by the Department of Agriculture and Agrifood on 8 – 10 May 2015

Following the Singapore Meeting, the 2nd national consultation meetings in different ASEAN Member States (AMS)  have been expected to be conducted. The consultation meeting aims at sharing and discussion of the key outcomes of the regional meeting. This includes planning of relevant activities and identify respective responsible for preparation of inputs contribute to writing up contents of the ASEAN SNM Guidelines. In Brunei Darussalam the national consultation meeting was conducted by the Department of Agriculture and Agrifood on 8 – 10 May 2015.  In Vietnam, the consultation meeting was held by the Department of Crop Production (DCP) on 28 – 29 June 2015.

To steer the process on preparation of inputs, a monitoring process has been conducting through a status report form. Presently, only Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam provide feedback in this regard. Base on the status reports obtained fromAMS, Malaysia is the most progressive one followed by Thailand, Vietnam and Myanmar.

AMS are being expected to submit completed draft of country inputs on subject matter by the end of October for consolidation. The contents received from the AMS will be reviewed by experts at the 3rd Meeting of ASEAN Expert Group on Soil and Nutrient Management to be held in November 2015 in Vientiane, Lao PDR.

By Wannipa Soda, ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems

Group photo of soil and nutrient management experts in Brunei Darussalam

Rice Plant-Hopper Management in Dong Thap Province

Rice Plant-Hopper Management in Dong Thap Province

Survey to develop training for farmers on integrated pest management

A pilot project soon to be established in Dong Thap province, Vietnam will assist Vietnamese farmers to tackle one of the country’s major threats to rice production, Brown Plant Hopper infestation. However, a survey to improve the ‘know-how’ in integrated pest management is firstly needed to design the right training for the farmers. This is to be conducted by the ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems project, a module under an ASEAN-German Programme on response to Climate Change in Agriculture and Forestry (GAP-CC) and CropLife International.

Dong Thap province is the third largest rice growing region in the Mekong delta with 523,800 hectares of cultivated area. Three harvests per year require a very intensive cultivation, with high inputs of fertilizers and pesticides. In the past years, yields per hectare have been steadily increasing, reaching an average of 6.3 ton per hectares, which is above the national average of about 5 tons per hectares.

Intensive rice cultivation entails also increasing production costs, often caused by the high usage of seeds, fertilizers and chemical pesticides above the usual levels. Studies have shown that the overuse of chemical inputs can even have an adverse effect, leading to a decline of yields. Therefore it is of utmost importance to identify the optimum of the application of seeds and chemical inputs.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, there are “inadequacies in pesticide advertising and labelling, while many farmers still continue to ignore basic instructions on their use”.

In Vietnam’s Dong Thap province, “Brown Plant Hopper” infestation and the following transmission of viruses is one of the major threats to rice production. Losses can be 100 per cent, if uncontrolled. Actually, the situation is under control, by light traps and the application of biological pesticides among others. Nevertheless, future outbreaks are possible as the insect is migrating fast over long distances. Because of its nature, infestation occurs at the whole growing area, which requires a strategy of including farmers’ communities, suppliers of agricultural inputs, and district and province authorities as well.

In general terms, the causes of the outbreaks include poor agronomic practices, poor choice of variety and, once an infestation is established, misuse of pesticides. The implementation of integrated pest management practices has proved unsustainable, since consistent messages have not been continually provided by all groups. Specifically the misuse or even illegal use of broad-spectrum, neuro-toxic insecticides needs to be addressed.

This requires not only the effective training of farmers, but also pesticide retailers who are a major source of pest management advice. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, there are “inadequacies in pesticide advertising and labelling, while many farmers still continue to ignore basic instructions on their use”. Training of retailers, which should be an integral part of government certification, would help to address this.

It is therefore proposed that the demonstration project be established in Dong Thap province, working with several villages where plant-hopper outbreaks are an issue, that will train farmers in integrated pest management including the responsible use of pesticides and the use of alternatives, including non-neuro-toxic and biocontrol agents, along with their integration and to train pesticide retailers in also integrated pest management, responsible pesticide use and responsible promotion of products.  The aim will be to set up a programme, where training messages are re-enforced by the local retailers, as well as other local partners such as the extension services and farmer organisations.

Other elements such as landscape engineering will be included in the information package presented to farmers; this will include how this can be used to encourage and maintain natural enemies, as well as possible negative impacts such as impacts on rat population. Farmers will be informed about such tools and techniques, but it will be their choice as to whether they adopt such approaches.

In general, even though the focus of the programme is management of plant-hopper attacks, in common with all integrated pest management programmes other pests that threaten the rice crop will be appropriately managed.

Preparatory Survey

GIZ by its ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems or in short SAS project and CropLife International agreed upon the conduction of a survey in Dong Thap province, Vietnam. This should be understood as a measure for the preparation of a wider capacity development programme. Plant Protection Department, its respective structures on national, provincial and local levels, and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Dong Thap province will actively take part in the development of the activities. After the survey has been concluded, and conclusions and recommendations have been analyzed, the envisaged capacity development programme will be carried through.