The APTERR Secretariat team led by Dr. Choomjet Karnjanakrsorn, General Manager of the APTERR Secretariat, attended the 44th Meeting of the ASEAN Food Security Reserve Board (AFSRB) held on 5-6 June 2024 in Vang Vieng, Vientiane Province, Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR). The meeting was hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Lao PDR and was participated by AFSRB members and relevant agencies namely the ASEAN Secretariat, the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR) Secretariat, the ASEAN Food Security Information System (AFSIS) Secretariat, and the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA).
In this regard, Dr. Karnjanakesorn has reported the meeting about the progress on the implementation of APTERR programme and its activities during Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 – present. The meeting took noted on the current progress of Tier 1 programme, the successfully released Tier 3 programmes, and the update on the on-going Tier 3 programmes together with new contribution for Tier 3 programme under FY 2024. Dr. Karnjanakesorn also highlighted the Food Emergency Monitoring and Information’s (FEMI) reports, especially its new report namely Quarterly Update on Food Emergency Monitoring and Information that provide the overview of food availability status in the ASEAN Plus Three region. Moreover, the meeting also noted the cooperation between the APTERR and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for the systematic review of APTERR to improve the existing APTERR’s mechanism and the collaborations between APTERR Secretariat with relevant organisation.
Lao PDR, as the host country, provided the delegates with field trip to the Angel Cave which is very famous tourist attraction for its spectacular stalactites and limestone formation. The host also brought the participant to see some paddy farm in the Vang Vieng area.
Chairman, Mr. Bounchanh Kombounyasith, Director of Department of Agriculture, Ministry of Apriculture and Forestry of Lao PDR.
(Left) Dr. Larry del Rosario Lacson, the new Administrator of the National Food Authority (NFA) of the Philippines and the new APTERR Council from the Philippines.(Right) Dr. Choomjet Karnjanakesorn, General Manager of APTERR Secretariat.
Field Trip to the Angel Cave in Vang Vieng
Credit: The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Lao PDR, and the APTERR Secretariat
