On 15 December 2023, the 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 and Forestry (MAF) of Lao PDR conducted the INAHOR Estimation Results and Utilization for 2023 Rainy Season Rice at Lao Plaza Hotel, Vientiane, Lao PDR
In the opening session, it was honored by Dr. Thasaka Saphangthong, Director General of the Department of Planning and Cooperation, MAF of Lao PDR, delivered the opening remark. While the representatives of the AFSIS Secretariat were Dr. Sumanya Ngandee, AFSIS Manager, Mr. Charapon Chantorn Deputy AFSIS manager, and Mr. Miyake Yasuhiro, AFSIS Japanese Expert, who attended the aforesaid workshop.
This workshop aims to report the outcomes of the National Estimation Project in Lao PDR implemented in August 2023 and to widely disseminate the outcomes of joint project which are the SAFE and AFSIS’s SAFER in Lao PDR to ASEAN member countries. Moreover, the workshop was emphasized the importance of AFSIS and also supported the AFSIS new framework to strengthen the existing role, function, and sustainability of the AFSIS in the region by effective collaboration, sharing of best practices, inspiring actions, and raising awareness together.
During the workshop, there was a session for an Overview of INAHOR estimation results of 2023 rainy season rice planted area and an Evaluation of INAHOR results and utilization of INAHOR in domestic operation.
The workshop was successfully ended with the collaboration of CAS of Lao PDR, MAFF Japan, JAXA, and AFSIS. The knowledge and outcomes of this workshop were useful and will apply space-based technology in rice crop monitoring and enhancement of rice statistics with timely and high accuracy as operational use in statistical work in the future. Furthermore, the results from this workshop will be reported at the ASEAN Summit in 2024.
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.
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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.
