The Space Application on Environment (SAFE) with the collaboration of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Japan, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) of India, Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) of Thailand, and AFSIS Secretariat had conducted the Training Program on Satellite-Derived Agrometeorological Data for AFSIS’s Rice Growing Outlook (RGO) for Agriculture Management in the ASEAN on 11 July 2022 as a virtual program.
The representatives from AFSIS Secretariat included Dr. Waraporn Saelee, AFSIS Manager, Mr. Tanabodee Kheosipalard, Statistician, Ms. Worada Wongsud, Secretary to the Japanese Expert, and Ms. Prodpran Lomthong, Project Coordinator.
There were 26 trainees from 8 ASEAN member countries attending the training, namely Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.
At the opening session, Dr. Waraporn Saelee delivered the welcome remarks and expressed her sincere gratitude and appreciation to all aforenamed agencies for their contribution to the training.
The objectives of this training program were to provide detailed training on the use of agromet data utilization with the SAFE Agromet project and to improve the capabilities in the interpretation of satellite-based agromet information to RGO activities.
During the training, there were remarkable lectures from Dr. Shashikant A Sharma, Er. Ujjwal Kumar Gupta and Dr. Rahul Nigam from ISRO regarding the demonstration of Indian Satellite derived agrometeorological information through the Meteorological & Oceanographic Satellite Data Archival Centre (MOSDAC), Python program, the Quantum Geographic Information System (QGIS), and Visualization of Earth Observation Data and Archival System (VEDAS). The trainees have learned step-by-step how to download data, data process, and generate the outputs using these programs.
The training was successfully conducted as the trainees were effectively imparted with the knowledge of agromet data utilization which can be applied to the RGO report and the agricultural statistics in their countries in the future.

.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
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.
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.
On 5–6 March 2026, the AFSIS Secretariat participated in the 14th Meeting of the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR) Council via video conference, hosted by the Kingdom of Cambodia. The meeting brought together representatives from ASEAN Plus Three countries, the ASEAN Secretariat, the ASEAN Food Security Reserve Board (AFSRB), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the APTERR Secretariat, and the AFSIS Secretariat to discuss key issues related to regional food security and emergency rice reserves.