ASEAN nations discuss COVID’s effects on agro, forestry sectors at 42nd AMAF

22 Oct


The 42nd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF) was held as a virtual meeting through the Blue Jeans application, under the chairmanship of Veng Sakhon, Cambodian Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, yesterday morning. 


The Myanmar delegation was led by Dr Aung Thu, Union Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation. They discussed how ASEAN nations could respond to consequences caused by COVID-19 to ensure the smooth progress of food security, food safety and receiving sufficient nutrition, and trade.


The meeting discussed progress in food crop, agriculture and forestry through the collaboration framework. The agriculture and forestry ministers of ASEAN nations had issued a communiqué on responding to COVID-19 on 15 April earlier this year. The meeting reviewed the ASEAN Co-operation on Food, Agriculture, and Forestry Sectors and its Strategic Plan (2016-2020) and approved the ASEAN guidelines on implementing international standards for preventing plant diseases, the separate ASEAN strategic plans for livestock, agriculture, fishery and controlling fall army worms, and guidelines on sustainable non-wood forest products.


The meeting decided to continue plans regarding key deliverables in 2021 including bio-information, preventing transboundary animal diseases and trade concerning livestock, establishing action plans and quality assurance on biodiversity and ASEAN guidelines on preventing plant diseases in crop trade, plans for anti-microbial resistance in the fishery sector, and signing a contractual agreement for policy and legal framework on ASEAN food safety.


Similarly, the Myanmar delegation cooperated with affiliated and international organizations, the nations of Australia, China, Germany, India, Japan, South Korea and Russia, the FAO, OIE, and Grow Asia. The Joint Communiqué for the 42nd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry was also approved at the meeting. The 43rd AMAF will be held in Bandung of West Java, Indonesia.


MNA (Translated by Zaw Htet Oo)