UNION Minister for Agriculture, Livestock, and Irrigation U Min Naung attended the 47th ASEAN Ministers’ Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry and related sessions held in Metro Manila, the Philippines from 1 to 3 October 2025.

On 2 October, the Union minister met with the Chinese Vice Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs to discuss cooperation in developing human resources, producing high-quality seeds, promoting research and development, applying systematic farming methods, and improving irrigation infrastructure management. They also exchanged views on ensuring the timely completion of the Biosafety Level-3 animal disease diagnostic laboratory in Nay Pyi Taw.

That evening, U Min Naung attended an official dinner hosted by the Philippine Secretary of Agriculture, alongside other ASEAN and partner country ministers. The following day, on 3 October, the ministers and delegates visited the National Museum of Natural History in Manila to observe displays on botany, zoology, and geology.

During the study tour, the Philippine Secretary of Agriculture shared that the country’s forest coverage had declined from 70 per cent in 1900 to only 12.8 per cent by 2010. He explained that the Philippines had proposed an ASEAN-wide initiative to plant one billion trees in response to the region’s deforestation challenges.

On 3 October, the Union minister joined other ASEAN and partner country delegates in visiting the 30th Agri-Link, 24th Food-Link, and 19th Aqua-Link exhibitions at the World Trade Center in Manila. The exhibitions showcased a wide range of agricultural products, including seeds, crops, and food items, as well as farm machinery, water industry equipment, livestock technologies, and farmer training programmes.

MNA/KZL

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