World's food marketing agencies open workshop
World's food marketing agencies open workshop
JAKARTA (JP): The Association of Food Marketing Agencies
(AFMA) in cooperation with the United Nations' Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Indonesia's State Logistics
Agency (Bulog) began a three-day workshop in Jakarta yesterday.
Participants at the workshop, which will continue through
Friday, are discussing the problems and constraints in
implementing marketing strategies to improve public welfare
through the generation of income and employment opportunities.
AFMA's executive director M.R. Satyal said that the workshop
was a forum for sharing experiences between the members about
their strategies in food policies.
"The workshop will also study the role of state-owned food
marketing bodies, cooperatives and private agencies in promoting
the income of farmers," Satyal said.
Bulog chairman Beddu Amang, who officially opened the
workshop, said that the food marketing agencies in the Asia
Pacific region should use AFMA and the workshop to share views
and experiences in anticipating various changes in the current
globalization era, such as the liberalization of economies.
"Acknowledging the latest development in most food marketing
agencies, I would like to suggest that AFMA expand its
membership, not only to government food marketing agencies, but
also to semi-private companies," Beddu said.
The Bangkok-based AFMA, which was established in 1983 under
the support of the FAO, is an international association of
marketing agencies.
It currently has 23 members from 11 countries including China,
India, South Korea, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, the
Philippines, Ceylon, Vietnam and host Indonesia. It has two
members from Indonesia, namely Bulog and the directorate general
of edible plants and horticulture.
Coinciding with the workshop, AFMA also held its 17th
executive committee meeting.
The meeting aimed to evaluate the association's results and to
set up its working program for the next period.
Some 50 participants, representing 13 marketing agencies from
seven countries, attended the workshop. (08)