On 20 – 21 February 2024, AFSIS Secretariat in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF) of Japan, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and the Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) of Cambodia conducted the Workshop for promote rice planted area and production estimation using space-based technologies at Himawari Hotel, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
In the opening session, it was honored by Mr. Srey Vuthy, Secretary General, MAFF of Cambodia, Mr. Masahiro Hosaka, Deputy Director, MAFF, Japan, Dr. Kei Oyoshi, Senior Researcher, JAXA, and Dr. Sumanya Ngandee, Manager, AFSIS Secretariat to deliver the opening remarks. The workshop was attended by 28 participants from the Department of Planning and Statistics (DPS) staff and the provincial staff, MAFF of Cambodia.
The workshop aims to strengthen the capabilities of officials from the MAFF of Cambodia to utilize remote sensing data for assessing rice cultivation areas and estimating production of rice using the ALOS-2 and Sentinel-2 satellites, especially during the dry season rice of 2023-2024. Additionally, the workshop included an analysis of the 2023-2024 dry season rice cultivation results, comparing with the outcomes from the INAHOR system and the actual rice cultivation area in Cambodia
This analysis was discussed by Mr.Shoji Kimura International Consultant of Strengthening ASEAN Food Security Information System (AFSIS) Function for the Emergency or SAFER project, with participation from DPS staff and provincial staff from MAFF of Cambodia. Furthermore, a field survey was conducted for the accuracy of satellite image interpretation results on off-season rice cultivation in Svay Antor District, Prey Veng Province.
The workshop was successfully completed with the cooperation of DPS of Cambodia, JAXA, MAFF of Japan, and AFSIS Secretariat. The outcomes of this workshop will significantly contribute to refining and enhancing the new validation framework and system of INAHOR. Additionally, it will be beneficial to improving in-country activities under SAFER project which AFSIS also plans to conduct the training workshop related to INHOR activities this year.
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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.
