On 10-11 September 2025, the ASEAN Food Security Information System (AFSIS) Secretariat, with support from Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), convened the Regional Workshop on Rice Growing Outlook and Maize Growing Outlook preparation Guideline under the Project for Strengthening ASEAN Food Security Information System Function for Emergency (SAFER project). The workshop was held at Centre Point Plus Hotel Silom, Bangkok, Thailand.

On this occasion, the meeting was welcomed by Dr. Sumanya Ngandee, AFSIS Manager, with a keynote address, and was honored by the presence of Mr. Vinit Atisook, Deputy Secretary General of the Office of Agricultural Economics (OAE), Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MOAC), Thailand, and Ms. Sari Murai, Section Chief of the Statistics Planning Division, Statistics Department, MAFF, Japan, who delivered the opening remarks.

A total of 30 participants from ASEAN Plus Three countries attended the workshop, focusing on enhancing the capacity of officers in preparing the RGO and MGO reports. The objectives were to:

• Strengthen the capacity of ASEAN Member States in collecting, analyzing, and interpreting rice and maize production data by utilizing meteorological information for efficient crop monitoring.
• Enhance knowledge of producing standardized RGO and MGO reports, ensuring accuracy and comparability across ASEAN Member States.
• Promote regional cooperation in sharing agricultural production data to better understand production changes and prepare for future challenges affecting food security.

These efforts represent not only technical improvements but also a significant step toward strengthening an integrated food security information system to meet the evolving needs of the ASEAN region.

The workshop concluded successfully, with participants expressing their appreciation to the AFSIS Secretariat and the MAFF of Japan for their excellent workshop and continued support in enhancing regional food security information systems.