Rice production in South East Asia, arguably the region's most important industry, has received a major boost with the endorsement of three new strategies by the Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry of the ten-nation Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Implemented and coordinated by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), the new measures are aimed at three major challenges facing rice production in ASEAN namely the environment, knowledge and information.

The decision to endorse the three new activities was made at the 28th meeting of the ASEAN Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF) in Singapore on 16 November 2006.