Beijing, China
October 12, 2011
On 7 October 2011, the Agreement on ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR) was signed by ministers in charge of agriculture and forestry of ASEAN Plus Three at the ministers’ meeting of the 11th ASEAN Plus Three held in Jakarta, Indonesia. Chinese vice minister of agriculture attended the meeting and signed the agreement on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture, China (MOA).
Rice is of critical importance to ASEAN Plus Three as some two thirds of world rice are produced in this region, and abut one half of world rice export is from the region.
The APTERR agreement decides that a total of 787 000 tons of rice shall be reserved jointly by these countries. This emergency rice reserve is to be used in response to regency needs from natural disasters and humanitarian assistance. China makes a commitment of 30 thousand tons to the emergency rice reserve, the largest amount committed to the reserve.
In October 2010, at the East Asian countries’ leaders meeting held in Hanoi, Vietnam, Premier Wen Jiabao indicated that China will work together with other countries in this region to promote the establishment of ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve, and declared that China will make a donation of one million US to the reserve in addition to 30 thousand tons of rice committed in 2009. The Chinese government will continue to host the ASEAN Plus Three Round Table Meeting on Food Security Cooperation to discus ways and means for cooperation in sustainable development of the region’s agriculture.
Under the host of MOA, the Third Council Meeting during the period of preparedness for APTERR was held in Harebrain in March 2011, and the Third Round Table Meeting on Food Security Cooperation is to be held in Nanning, Guangxi, on 9-10 November 2011.
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