On 24-25 April 2024, the 12th Meeting of the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR) Council was conducted physically Beijing,People’s Republic of China.

The objectives of the meeting were to report the implementation of APTERR activities in 2023, discuss and propose the work plan and budget proposal for the fiscal year 2024, and the terminal report of the financial contribution to the APTERR Fund. Also, the Meeting was updated on the implementation under the Rice Discharge Mechanism, Program 3 (Tier 3 program) from the recipient countries such as Cambodia, Myanmar, Lao PDR, and Philippine 

Attendees included representatives from the APTERR Council, ASEAN Plus Three countries (except the Philippines), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the APTERR Secretariat, and the AFSIS Secretariat.

On this occasion, Dr. Sumanya Ngandee, AFSIS Manager, had an opportunity to present the AFSIS Implementation in 2023- the 1st quarter of 2024, the future work plan in 2024 and works related to APTERR. AFSIS provides data on the demand and supply of rice for annual reports and the analysis of monitoring and evaluating food emergency situations (Food Emergency Monitoring and Information: FEMI). This emphasizes the importance of AFSIS in the collection, analysis, and dissemination of ASEAN food security information.

Furthermore, this meeting provided all participants with the great opportunity to visit Xiaotangshan National Research and Demonstration Base for Precision Agriculture, Changping District, Beijing, People's Republic of China. The research center has developed technology for precision agriculture. and modern agriculture by using 3S technology, including GIS, GPS, and Remote Sensing, to effectively manage farmland and resources. These technologies lead to maximum efficiency at the right time to increase agricultural production, both quantity and quality, including helping reduce production costs, and safe for farmers and the environment.