PRESS RELEASES

The 4th Meeting of ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR) Council

31 May 2016

On 5-6 May, the 4th meeting of ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR) Council was held in Siem Reap, Cambodia. From Japan, Mr. Akira Karasawa, Director-General for Crop Production Bureau, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, headed the delegation, which included the representatives of Embassy of Japan in Thailand and Mission of Japan to ASEAN.

The APTERR Agreement came into force in July 2012, and the 1st Council based on the Agreement was held in March 2013. At the 4th meeting, the Council endorsed the recruitment of a new General Manager and 3-year Work Plan for fiscal year 2016-2018 proposed by the newly appointed General Manager. The Council also discussed and endorsed the management of the Endowment Fund, the implementation of Work Plan and Budget Plan for fiscal year 2015 and the Work Plan and Budget Plan for fiscal year 2016. The Council took note of the report on the implementation of Stockpiled Emergency Rice Reserve (Tier 3) in the Cambodia and the Philippines supported by Japan.

Japan expressed its intent to continue to support for Stockpiled Emergency Rice Reserve (Tier 3) in fiscal year 2016 in addition to the contribution to the APTERR Fund based on the Agreement. Furthermore, Japan expressed that it intended to implement the pilot project of releasing Earmarked Emergency Rice Reserve (Tier 1).

The 5th Council will be held in Indonesia in 2017.