Tuesday, April 29, 2008
ASEAN Ready to Tackle Soaring Food Prices
Source: Antara News

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - ASEAN is ready to tackle the soaring food prices by implementing a number of measures including the strengthening of its existing food security mechanism, ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan said here on Tuesday.

Pitsuwan said that besides overcoming the rising food prices, ASEAN would also ensure long-term adequacy of rice supply to prevent any adverse impact on its economies.

He added that the ASEAN region, as a net exporter of several food commodities, had sufficient amount of food supply for its people and the world’s.

The ASEAN Secretary General said the region had more than enough rice, sugar, and several oil-seed production to feed the region and to meet the growing regional as well as global demand.

Meanwhile, data from the ASEAN Food Security Information System (AFSIS) showed that total ASEAN production of paddy had increased steadily from 120.7 million metric tons in 1993 to 178.8 million metric tons in 2006.

The region’s exports of rice also plaid an important role in the world market, accounting for almost 50% of the total global exports, based on the 2006/2007 production year.

"If we manage our food production, processing, storage and distribution well we can also help relieve the world’s anxiety and pressure by sharing our food surpluses with other regions," Surin Pitsuwan said.

He said ASEAN currently had existing mechanisms that were directly related to food security in the region, including the ASEAN Food Security Reserve (AFSR) and the East Asia Emergency Rice Reserve (EAERR) comprising the ASEAN plus Three Countries of China, Japan and Korea.

In addition, an information network on food security among these countries has been established through the ASEAN Food Security Information System (AFSIS).

These mechanisms are designed mainly for sharing of rice stocks among countries in times of disasters and other natural emergencies.

"Obviously, to prevent spiraling food prices, we need a concerted effort to further strengthen the scope of regional cooperation in food security, including stabilization of prices," Surin Pitsuwan said.

He further suggested that both short-term and long-term measures have to be implemented to stabilize market prices and maintain proper levels for rice stocks that are beneficial for both producers and consumers.

High food prices, according to him, had already caused concerns in ASEAN, particularly in rice-importing countries such as Indonesia and the Philippines.

"With assistance from the World Bank and the Food and Agriculture Organization, the Governments of ASEAN Member States are addressing the rice supply problems," he noted.