MYANMAR chaired the 46th online meeting of the ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF), from 22 to 25 October.

On 24 October, Union Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation U Min Naung and Malaysian Minister for Agriculture and Food Security, who chaired the 45th AMAF meeting, delivered the opening speech at the 46th AMAF.

Then, the Malaysian Agriculture and Food Security Minister handed over the chairmanship of the 46th AMAF to U Min Naung, Union Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation.

On the first day of the meeting, the representatives from ASEAN countries, Timor-Leste, ASEAN Secretariat and Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN discussed progress in the implementation of ASEAN food security, agriculture and forest in 2023-2024, sustainable agricultural programmes, ASEAN directives to reduce crop burning and reduce the use of harmful agrochemicals, implementation of blue economy, digitalization and a joint venture of the government and private sectors.

Then, the ASEAN Ministers reviewed the completed tasks mentioned in the ASEAN food security, agriculture and forestry strategic plan and approved the 16 critical deliverables for ASEAN food security, agriculture and forestry sector, two priority economic deliverables during the chairmanship of Laos and one priority to be conducted by Malaysia. They also recorded 11 action plans and instructed the significant points to add to the ASEAN agriculture, food security and forestry strategic plan (2026-2030).

During the chairmanship of Myanmar, the country proposed a “project on production of biocoal analyzing crop residues to reduce carbon emission in ASEAN countries”. The development partners like ERIAI, CropLife Asia, US-ASEAN Business Council, and EU-ASEAN Business Council participated in the discussion and approved the joint declaration of the 46th AMAF.

Before the ministerial meeting, senior officials’ sessions for the 46th AMAF, 24th ASEAN Plus Three Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry and 8th ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry were also held on 22 and 23 October.

The ASEAN Plus Three meetings and ASEAN Plus India meetings will be held on 25 October.  

MNA/KTZH

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