This month concludes a three-year capacity building project in Thailand and the Philippines. In partnership with national statistical offices and ministries of agriculture AMIS helped both countries deliver more accurate statistics, effectively monitor rice markets and produce relevant data on food security. This was done in four simple steps: (i) Analyze current methodologies for the estimation of rice area, production and stocks; (ii) Adjust these methodologies according to international best practice; (iii) Pilot test the application of improved methodologies; (iv) Train national staff and expand knowledge to other networks.

A main focus of the project was on promoting knowledge exchange between both countries and fostering peer learning. Several study tours between Thailand and the Philippines allowed the sharing of experiences and know-how. These exchanges were further deepened during three annual joint workshops during which the progress of the project was reviewed and additional synergies explored.

Notable achievements in Thailand include the promotion of computer assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) techniques, improvements in data quality control mechanisms and a better estimation of rice utilizations for the country’s commodity balance sheets.

In the Philippines, Thailand’s experiences in yield estimation supported the methodological development and field testing of crop cutting surveys and the design of appropriate capacity building activities. The project also conducted an in-depth data analysis training.

To ensure an even wider dissemination of new methods and techniques, the final workshop in December 2015 reached out to other countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) by inviting national focal points of the ASEAN Food Security Information System (AFSIS).