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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.
The meeting reported on the implementation of APTERR activities during 2025 and considered the proposed work plan and budget for the fiscal year 2026, as well as the financial status of the APTERR Fund. Participants were also updated on the implementation of the Rice Discharge Mechanism, including the Tier 1 Programme between the Philippines and Japan, which aims to strengthen food security preparedness in response to unforeseen disasters. In addition,the meeting discussed the implementation of the Tier 3 Programme to facilitate the timely provision of rice assistance during emergencies and received updates on the Food Emergency Monitoring and Information (FEMI) system, a decision-support tool for monitoring and assessing food security situations across ASEAN Plus Three countries to support timely decisions on the release of emergency rice reserves. The meeting also welcomed Timor-Leste as a new member country.
On this occasion, Mr. Charapon Chantorn, Deputy Manager of the AFSIS Secretariat, presented the AFSIS implementation progress for 2025 and its 2026 work plan, including cooperation with APTERR. He highlighted the role of AFSIS in collecting, analyzing, and disseminating food security information across ASEAN, including rice supply and demand data for the APTERR Quarterly Report and key analytical publications such as the Early Warning Information (EWI), Rice Growing Outlook (RGO), and the Food Emergency Monitoring and Information (FEMI) system.
Furthermore, Mr. Charapon emphasized the continued collaboration between AFSIS and APTERR under the ASEAN Food, Agriculture and Forestry Sectoral Plan 2026–2030 (FAF-SP 2026–2030), as well as ongoing efforts to strengthen the sustainability of the AFSIS Secretariat.
Through these initiatives, AFSIS continues to support evidence-based decision-making and contribute to strengthening food security across the ASEAN region.
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On 18 February 2026, the AFSIS Secretariat participated in the international event Google’s “Impact of AI on Global Agriculture,” organized by Google.org at Roseate House, Aerocity, New Delhi, India.
On 12-13 February 2026, the AFSIS Secretariat, in collaboration with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the Remote Sensing Technology Center of Japan (RESTEC), Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) Japan and the Office of Agricultural Economics (OAE), Ministry of Agriculture Cooperatives (MOAC), conducted a workshop conducted a workshop The Promoting Rice Planted Area and Production Estimation Using INAHOR and Space-based Technologies in Thailand at the Meeting Room 2, Innovation Building, 3rd FL, Office of Agricultural Economics (OAE)
The In-Country Workshop on Promoting Rice Planted Area and Production Estimation Using Space-based Technologies in Lao PDR was jointly organized by AFSIS Secretariat, JAXA, MAFF Japan, and MAE Lao PDR under the AFSIS-GIS and SAFE projects. The event was held in Vientiane with hands-on training on 9 February 2026 and a workshop on 10 February 2026.
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On 13–15 January 2026, the Office of Agricultural Economics (OAE), Thailand, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), Japan, and the AFSIS Secretariat, conducted the 1st Meeting of Japan–Thailand Expert Dialogue on Agricultural Statistics. The meeting was held at the Office of Agricultural Economics and field survey activities in Chonburi Province.
