APO Secretary-General Dr. Indra Pradana Singawinata paid a courtesy call on Deputy Director General Eiji Tanimura, Export and International Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), at his office in Tokyo on 31 January. During the meeting, Deputy Director General Tanimura congratulated Dr. Indra on his appointment as the 13th APO Secretary-General and warmly welcomed his first visit to MAFF headquarters.

Deputy Director General Tanimura recognized the importance of the ongoing APO Demonstration Farm on Innovative Agriculture being conducted under a special cash grant from MAFF and expressed his confidence in its successful implementation. The project objective is to improve productivity in greenhouse vegetable production in Vietnam. A microclimate control system with cloud-based sensor and data collection will be installed. Secretary-General Dr. Indra appreciated the support of MAFF and pledged the best efforts of the Secretariat for the success of the project.

The meeting concluded with a recap of the long, valuable collaborative history between MAFF and the APO. Deputy Director General Tanimura and Secretary-General Dr. Indra reaffirmed their commitment to continuing and enhancing mutual cooperation between MAFF and the APO.

APO Secretary-General Dr. Indra (L) and MAFF Deputy Director General Tanimura.

APO Secretary-General Dr. Indra (L) and MAFF Deputy Director General Tanimura discussing ongoing MAFF-supported projects.