Thailand

As Thailand’s economic and research capacities increase, the ACIAR–Thai relationship has shifted towards co-investment in the partnership. In line with the Memorandum of Understanding signed in July 2007, ACIAR will continue to foster opportunities for partnering with Thailand on a regional basis. In this context, the new thrust is to improve the synergy and communication of regional research programs, with particular attention to Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. Australia and Thailand are active participants in a range of IARC and other multilateral research and assistance agencies, a number of which are located in Thailand. This will continue to provide a suitable platform to address wider regional research initiatives with both Australian and Thai involvement.

ACIAR’s current program focuses on three issues: implementation of the results of earlier projects, with relevance to the poorest farming communities; biosecurity systems implementation; and regional partnering with Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam on management of Mekong fisheries.

In 2012–13 an emphasis will be retained on:

• plant biosecurity, including biosecurity- and quarantine-related R&D, molecular identification of quarantine pests and technical capacity building
• development of fish-passage technology
• livestock biosecurity, with an emphasis on improving vaccine quality and disease management systems
• working with poor communities to improve rice production on poor soils in north-eastern Thailand (NGO collaboration)
• continuing to effectively implement the results from earlier research projects, as well as manage collaboration of projects with Thai partners, in particular Laos and Burma.