On 31 August 2023, the AFSIS Secretariat with the collaboration of the Regional Office of Agricultural Economics 7 at NongmuangDistrict in Lopburi province and Nakhon Sawan Field Crops Research Center attended the maize field trip in Nakhon Sawan provinces, Thailand.
The objective of this field trip was to interview and gain knowledge, and experience regarding growing maize for animal feed, factors affecting the growth, and the situation of maize production from farmers who planted maize in Lopburi and researchers in Nakhon Sawan, Thailand.
Participants were Officials from OAE Regional 7 led by Ms. Kaokoi Tongrui, Plan and Policy Analyst, Senior Professional Level, Officers from Nakhon Sawan Field Crops Research Center led by Ms. Siwilai Lapbanjob, Director, 2 Representatives from AFSIS Focal Point of Japan, Mr. Hosaka Masahiro and Ms. Yoshida Haruka, and 6 Representatives of the AFSIS Secretariat which were Dr. Sumanya Ngandee, AFSIS Manager, Mr. Charapon Chantorn, Deputy AFSIS Manager, Mr. Miyake Yasuhiro, AFSIS Japanese Expert, Mr. Kimra Shoji, International Consultant of SAFER project, Ms. Worada Wongsud, Secretary to the Japanese Expert, and Mr. Thanapat Chukaew, Agricultural Statistical Reporting Officer.
The trip successfully ended with great collaboration from the officials of OAE Region 7, Nakhon Sawan Field Crops Research Center, and farmers. The knowledge imparted from this event will be used as supportive information and reference for a new crop growing outlook (Maize Growing Outlook, MGO) activity under the current AFSIS technical support project named the SAFER project which the MGO report is planned to be issued at the end of next year 2025.
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On 23 April 2026, the AFSIS Secretariat participated in the Ad-Hoc Senior Officials Meeting of the ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry (SOM-AMAF), held via a virtual platform, to discuss the implications of recent developments in the Middle East on regional food security and to identify coordinated measures to enhance ASEAN’s food resilience, in preparation for the ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF) Meeting.
The agricultural sector plays a vital role in supporting food security and livelihoods across ASEAN, where diverse production capacities shape the availability of major agricultural commodities such as rice, maize, sugarcane, soybean, and cassava. This report examines the SSR patterns across ASEAN to emphasize regional strengths, structural imbalances, and the implications for food security and agricultural policy in the region.
The self-sufficiency ratio (SSR) is a key indicator of food security. It shows how well Southeast Asian countries can meet rice demand through domestic production, with the region overall remaining increasingly self-sufficient despite ongoing challenges.
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On 19 March 2026, the AFSIS Secretariat participated in the Asia and the Pacific Food Systems Forum 2026 under the theme “Feeding the Future, Sustaining the Planet” in Manila, the Philippines, organized by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) . The forum aimed to promote food security policies, review ADB’s related initiatives, and support long-term food systems transformation.
