University of Wollongong

Component 1
The activities for this project focused on the three objectives of the project which remained the same except for the slight modification in Objective 1 as follows:
Objective 1: To finalize component planning and identify collaborative opportunities
The production of papaya is concentrated in Mindanao, particularly the regions of SOCCSKSARGEN, Northern Mindanao and Davao which account for 65% of national output. The multinational companies growing the export variety Solo have huge plantations in these areas especially in South Cotabato. One of these exporting companies was initially identified as the commercial collaborator focusing on the China market. While the initial discussion of the Philippine and Australian researchers with the one in-charge of the papaya production and packinghouse operations regarding potential collaboration appeared promising, this did not materialize since the company's willingness to be part of the project was limited to implementing interventions at the production level. Another company was identified and efforts of the ACIAR project manager based in Davao to have them as a commercial collaborator did not flourish also. Since collaboration with these two major companies exporting papaya did not push through, efforts of the Philippine researchers focused on the domestic supply chain with papayas coming from Southern Philippines and distributed in Metro Manila. Commercial collaborators have been identified and project activities have been discussed.
Objective 2: To identify opportunities and constraints through supply chain analysis for Philippine papaya
Initial supply chain mapping, documentation of the postharvest handling practices and fruit quality assessment were conducted in three major supply areas in Davao, Misamis Oriental and Bukidnon. Buying stations, wholesale and retail markets, consolidators' warehouse and supermarkets were likewise visited. A multi-layered distribution and disaggregate sector characterize the papaya supply chain. From the farm until papaya reaches the retail market or the supermarket, it undergoes 10 to 12 handling steps. In one of the consolidator's warehouse, rejection ranged from 4 to 30% per shipment. Rejection was due to mechanical damage (bruising and compression), latex stain and diseases notably stem end rot. Wide variation in the maturity of the fruit was also identified as a major problem resulting in ripe papaya fruits that have a flat taste or not sweet. Bitterness is also one of the complaints of the consumers. Interviews with the key players indicated the need for introducing interventions to address quantity and quality losses along the supply chain. Enhancing awareness of the handlers as well as key players and decision makers in the chain on the role of appropriate postharvest handling is one of the initial steps in improving the supply chain.
Objective 3. To enhance profitability and competitiveness through supply chain improvement for Philippine papaya.
Preliminary study on retarding papaya ripening with 1-methycyclopropene (1-MCP) indicated the potential of the technique in solving premature ripening during transit. Improvement plans will be discussed with project collaborators and implementation of interventions will still be conducted after validation of the supply chain map.
Objective 4. To enhance profitability and competitiveness through supply chain improvement for Australian papaya.
Two commercial partners have been identified and suitable methodology for supply chain investigations have been trialled with collaborating scientists and extension workers.
Two supply chains have been mapped and handling details confirmed through an analysis of fruit performance. In the wet season monitoring, severe losses (25%) from post harvest diseases were identified. There were little differences between fruit performance at the wholesale markets and fruit sampled from the packing sheds with severe diseases developing rapidly during ripening. With widespread wet season conditions there was little differences between growing regions.
Component 2
Durian and jackfruit are marketed as 'flagship fruit' for their respective regions, Mindanao and the Eastern Visayas. Phytophthora has been associated with disease symptoms in durian resulting in high disease losses that can significantly reduce farm incomes. The severe decline of jackfruit in Leyte and Samar has similar consequences, but the cause remains unknown and no management strategies are in place. Improved orchard management is seen as a way of reducing disease losses, leading to sustainable yield increases and improved fruit quality and ultimately an increase in farmer income.
This project aims to improve the productivity of jackfruit and durian in the Philippines by increasing the understanding of Phytophthora diseases among industry stakeholders, enhancing the diagnostic capacity of local scientists and through the development of a range of effective integrated disease management options for farmers. Capacity building is proceeding in three key directions: (1) Training workshops to build diagnostic expertise and competence in disease management, (2) Disease surveys to establish the extent and cause of jackfruit decline, (3) Participatory action research trials to test a range of options for the management of diseases in durian and jackfruit.
A stakeholder training workshop was held at Camp Phillips in August 2008 to identify the key constraints to fruit production. Thirty five people from private industry, government organisations, universities and farmers representing the durian, jackfruit and papaya industries participated. To enhance the diagnostic capacity of local scientists and to overcome poor dissemination of information about disease management participants were received theoretical and practical training in the isolation, diagnosis, biology, epidemiology and management of Phytophthora. A training manual was prepared and distributed to all participants. To promote more effective dissemination of information about disease management, the concept of participatory action research was introduced.
Extension training workshops were organised by project collaborators in Davao and Leyte to disseminate information to extension staff and farmers. Twenty participants from the durian growing provinces in the Davao region attended the workshop organised by Concepcion Soguilon (Project leader), Arceli Yebes and Cyril Montiel at the Bureau of Plant Industries in October 2008. Twenty-one people, including extension staff and farmers, attended the workshop run by Lucia Borines, Gil Guadalquiver and Victoria Palermo at Visayas State University. These workshops extended information taught in the first stakeholder training workshop to more farmers and extension staff.
Topics for participatory action research (PAR) trials were discussed at the stakeholder and extension workshops. The PAR trials will test methods for the management of Phytophthora diseases in durian, and for the management of the unknown decline in jackfruit. These trials are currently being established in Mindanao, Leyte and Samar.
Disease surveys and isolations to determine the cause of jackfruit decline are underway in Leyte and Samar. A Phytophthora species has been isolated from canker and roots of jackfruit and from soil around jackfruit trees displaying symptoms. Samples were taken from jackfruit trees in Calbayog, Abuyog, Ormoc, Mahaplag, Sogod and southern Leyte. The Phytophthora species from all locations appear morphologically similar. Further morphological and molecular diagnostics will determine the species of Phytophthora that has been isolated. Seedlings of jackfruit are also being inoculated with the isolated Phytophthora to determine that the isolated organism is the causal agent of the symptoms observed in the field.
Component 3
A multi-disciplinary team of expert plant pathologists, entomologists and plant nutritionists is presently involved in an ACIAR funded project component addressing domestic profitability and export competitiveness of papaya in the southern Philippines and Australia. Activities during the first 12 months of the component included an inception meeting in Davao (July 2008), a Phytophthora disease identification and management workshop at Del Monte's Camp Phillips (30 July-1 August 2008), a baseline survey of Philippine papaya growers whose production is affected by insect pest, disease and nutrition-related issues ((8-13 December), attendance at local grower meetings in Australia where growers were given updates on proposed research and future benefits to industry, an in-depth review and planning meeting in the Southern Philippines city of Cagayan de Oro followed by visits to grower properties to see production issues first hand (1-3 March).
Component 4
HORT/2007/067-4 "Improved domestic profitability and export competitiveness of selected fruit value chains in the southern Philippines and Australia" aims to develop and evaluate sustainable practices for the integrated management of mango pests and field and post harvest diseases; develop and e valuate integrated crop management strategies for productive, profitable and sustainable production of high quality mangoes; and evaluate food safety issues that limit access and competitiveness in mango exports.
For the first year, the different sub-components have carried out initial activities/studies on: the ecology and management of important mango pests, identification of chemical pesticides to control mango diseases, soil and leaf sampling for nutrition studies, identification of pesticide compounds that will be included in the maximum residue limit (MRL) work; and collaboration with the Local Government Units (LGUs) in establishing farmer clusters and techno dermo sites as part of the extension activities.
The study on the ecology and management of cecid fly and thrips was initially conducted in Samal Island, Davao del Norte and Padada, Davao del Sur. In each site, sprayed and unsprayed trees from which random samples of panicles of flowers/fruits were collected at 7 day interval from 10 - 55 DAFI (Days after Flower Induction) were used. All insects present in the samples were recorded.
Thrips were observed in the samples but no cecid fly or signs of its damage were visible. There were 2-3 unidentified different species of thrips found in the flowers. Voucher specimens have been prepared and sent to experts for taxonomic identification. The population of thrips increased gradually from 10 - 26 DAFI and declined abruptly thereafter. the highest density was observed at 26 DAFI:20 thrips/panicle in Davao del Sur and 9 thrips/panicle in Davao del Norte. The population dropped to almost a negligible number as fruits were developing. Fruits with suspected damage from thrips, however, were observed during this period. Detailed studies to characterize the thrips damage on fruits will be conducted.
Spraying with insecticides reduced the population of thrips in Davao del Sur. Sprayed trees in Davao del Norte, however, had higher population of thrips than unsprayed ones. The impact of spraying on natural enemies could not be determined because the population of predators was nil.
Field collection and laboratory culturing of mango pulp weevils was done in Brooke's Point, Palawan. Preliminary laboratory tests were made to determine the appropriate dose of the frass volatile, acetic acid, which could be attractive to mango pulp using glue traps. Preliminary tests on the trap design were also made.
On the disease management study, systemic fungicides to be evaluated against SER (Stem End Rot) were identified. A mango farm located in Davao del Sur was visited and selected as the experimental site. Cultural management practices are currently being implemented on the site to prepare selected experimental trees for the treatments to be made.
The evaluation of biological control strategies against SER has been assigned to undergraduate thesis students and is progressing. Refinement of MAP and Hot Water Treatment in combination with fungicides is ongoing.
The study on the major sources and quantification of field inoculum of SER and diurnal pattern of SER inoculum as well as effects of temperature and relative humidity on the seasonal abundance of SER inoculum was assigned to thesis students, but the latter experiment was discontinued due to breakdown of the volumetric spore trip.
Cluster members in Samal Island are being identified and organised. Tools for benchmarking and assessment were developed.
On the nutrition study, two project activities are in progress: first is the effect of N, Ca and K on fruit quality and disease defense of mango; and second is a survey to establishing the relationship between soil and tissue nutrition concentration on fruit quality and incidence and severity of anthracnose in mango.
A 2-ha farm planted to 12 year old 'Carabao' mango was identified in San Antonio Babak, Samal, Davao del Norte to be used for the nutrition study to be conducted as part of an MS student thesis.
Survey sites, on the other hand, were visited during the second quarter of 2009. The survey is on-going with 10 to 14 farmer cooperators identified in Davao del Sur and Davao del Norte, respectively. Ten soil samples and ten leaf samples were collected from Savao del Sur and submitted to the laboratory of the Bureau of Soil and Water Management for analysis.
Initial results of the chemical residue study, identified Cypermethrin and Tebuconazole as the target pesticide compounds to work on, based on their importance to the mango industry and the current laboratory capability. Cypermethrin is a good candidate for the first 'pilot' compound, since violations of the cypermethrin MRL has been found in Philippine mango exports to Japan.
A detail of the supervised residue trials, which is superimposed with the insect and disease management sub-components, has been coordinated with Davao del Sur and Davao del Norte collaborators. Field experiments on Cypermethrin are ongoing in Davao del Norte and Davao del Sur project sites. USeP has taken on the coordination of field experiments on the Tebuconazole study superimposed with the disease management project. The first batch of mango samples in Cavite applied with Tebuconazole has been harvested for analysis.
In Australia, the first round of gene pool screening for disease resistance has been completed. Several entries have been identified with food resistance to anthracnose and SER. They will be confirmed under controlled conditions before selecting to advance for future rootstock work in disease management. Trials to evaluate basal applications of systemic pesticides to control scales and seed weevils have been established and are ongoing. Agronomic trials to standardize and link plant nutrition to plant defences have also been established.
Component 5
The activities and outputs for each component objective over the reporting period are summarised below;
Objective 1: To undertake an economic analysis of the value chain for the crops of interest in the ACIAR Program HORT/2007/067.
Glory Dee Romo (University of the Philippines Mindanao, UP Mindanao) and Leanne Orr (New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, NSW DPI) completed a case study showing how the team will undertake the initial assembly of price spread information for all fruit and vegetable crops relevant to both ACIAR Program HORT/2007/066 and this program. In this case study, a fruit crop, papaya, was chosen as the case study crop.
The UP Mindanao team (Larry Digal and Glory Dee Romo) prepared a draft marketing margin analysis for three fruit crops in Mindanao; mango, durian and papaya. Price transmission and net margin analysis were used to assess the performance (show any indication of inefficiencies) of the supply chains. The initial findings of the analysis show that inefficiencies exist in the supply chains of durian, mango and papaya. For example, the analysis showed an uneven distribution of benefits among participants in the mango supply chain with some players extracting benefits from others to gain higher profit.
Data for the draft marketing margin analysis was collected by the UP Mindanao team from the Philippines Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) database and from interviews with participants in the supply chain, such as; farmers, wholesalers, retailers, farm labourers, storekeepers, transport labourers and service providers.
Objective 2: To estimate the profitability of HORT/2007/067 Program outcomes developed under Components 1 to 4 and to use this to measure the Component impacts upon Philippine fruit industries and to enhance adoption.
A gross margin budget has been developed by Leanne Orr (NSW DPI) and Sonny Domingo (Charles Sturt University) for processing papaya (Cavite Yellow) in Region X. The gross margin budget was prepared for processing papaya grown for Del Monte Philippines Inc with data supplied by Del Monte Philippines Inc.
Leanne Orr (NSW DPI) has developed gross margin budgets for Red (Solo) and Yellow papaya grown in Queensland. These budgets are based on data provided by Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (QDPIF).
The fruit gross margin budgets were circulated to other component leaders in March 2009 for their use and feedback and were also loaded onto the ACIAR Program website (see references).
Objective 3: To identify any policy constraints that may affect the adoption of technologies developed by the Program, and quantify their impacts at the farm level, and some cases the industry level.
A draft study of policy issues for fruit in the Philippines has been prepared by Dr Roehlano Briones (Philippine Institute for Development Studies, PIDS). It provides a picture of the current situation and identifies some potential areas of future research for the project. This policy project will be important in identifying regulation and monopoly power which will be reflected in the price spreads and may impede the adoption of technology at the farm level.
A preliminary whole-farm model is being developed for a fruit producing farm in Mindanao. The model is being developed by Dr Randall Jones and Leanne Orr (NSW DPI) with assistance from Sonny Domingo (CSU).
The models are based on a linear programming framework and is planned to be extended to a risk analysis framework so as to be able to help understand the constraints to adoption of technologies by Philippine vegetable farmers.
A number of other activities and outputs have also occurred for this program reporting period which have contributed to the achievement of the milestones set out for the Program.
A document has been prepared by Leanne Orr (NSW DPI) outlining where and how to access Philippine agricultural statistics of particular relevance to the fruit program. The BAS website provides a vehicle for access to two groups of statistical information on vegetables in the Philippines. The first group is in the form of BAS statistics and publications available for download. The second group of statistical information is available via a link to the CountrySTAT Philippines website. The document is available on the ACIAR Program website (see references).
Queensland and Australian papaya production and value data for 1995-2007 has been extracted from Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) statistics by Leanne Orr (NSW DPI) and placed in a spreadsheet which has been loaded as a further program resource on the ACIAR Program website (see references).
There have been key activities involving coordinating and establishing the component team which have involved building and developing relationships between the Philippine collaborators and the Australian team members. Dr John Mullen and Dr Randall Jones (NSW DPI) have both visited the Philippines and met will program collaborators (finalised and proposed) to carry out this liaison and relationship building activity. There are two program collaborators with which arrangements are not yet finalised for their involvement in the program. This activity will be ongoing with the final number of Philippine program collaborators intended to be five; UP Mindanao, VSU, PIDS, SEARCA and BAS.
Component 6
The principle activities within Component 6 has focused on ensuring that Component Leaders have successfully negotiated achievable activities within Australia and the Philippines with the component project leaders in line with the budget allocations. This has occurred at varying rates, but by March 2009, all changes to project applications have been completed.
Changes to the flow of funds and developing Letters of Variation have principally been driven by Betty Robertson in ACIAR, for which we are greatly indebted.
In Australia, significant investment of time has been made in the negotiation with the Industry peak bodies, to ensure that they were agreeable with the focus of the research programs, and that clear benefits to their industries are understood by them as well as their constituents.
Despite the disruption in funds reaching the project staff on the ground, in most cases significant progress has been made to ensure that the targeted outcomes for the project will be achieved.

Cambodia
The project inception meeting was held in Phnom Penh in July 2007, although the project contract was not signed by the Cambodian partners until October 2007, resulting in a delayed start. Funds allocated for the Cambodian component of the project were first successfully transferred in January 2008. Since then, in-country funds have been used to run one training workshop on livestock movement data entry. This will form the basis of movement mapping, and provide a foundation for more detailed subsequent studies on movement patterns.

The project manager in Cambodia, Dr Holl Davun, a Deputy Director of NaVRI, has been heavily involved in completing further studies. This has taken him out of the country for significant periods. He is now seeking employment of project - specific staff.

To this stage, we have not been able to engage a volunteer for the Cambodian component of the project (we have planned and budgeted for two), principally because of the complete lack of volunteers. Some of the organisational functions expected from the volunteers will be addressed through the use of interim contract services. This interim arrangement is under regular review, subject to the willingness of in-country counterpart agreement, and would be terminated by the appointment of a volunteer after an appropriate handover period.

Dr Sorn San, a Director of NaVRI, who has a small but critical oversight role in this project in Cambodia, was the recipient of a John Dillon Fellowship, and has received project management training through this. It is anticipated that this upskilling will facilitate the outcomes of the Cambodian component of this project.

Laos
The Lao component of the project is scheduled to start in July 2008, and will coincide with the annual Project meeting. This will be held in Vientiane 30th June - 2nd July inclusive.

Volunteers for Lao are available, and will be engaged formally in the near future.

Following the inception meeting, a number of workshops are scheduled, including a data entry workshop in Vientiane, a parallel to that held in Phnom Penh in January this year.

In addition, Dr Farida Tilbury from Murdoch University will be holding a number of livestock trader workshops, thereby commencing the sociological component of the project, which seeks to elaborate the trader networks, and drivers for livestock movement.

Australia
The project has engaged the services of Dr Jim Kerr to manage the operational components of the project. Jim's appointment should facilitate development of project goals, through his experiences in overseas projects, and extensive involvement in state and national disease control and eradication programmes.

Dr Ben Madin has commenced his PhD through Murdoch University, analysing the movement data from Cambodia/Lao, and comparing this with Australian livestock movement data. The outcome of Ben's PhD should enhance livestock management practices in all three countries.

Overview
The project aims to generate a detailed understanding of livestock movement patterns in Cambodia and Laos and their influence on the spread of animal diseases. This process includes the development of a computer model for predicting livestock movements, based on data such as market prices. When disease surveillance information is added to the model, it should be possible to predict risk of disease spread, allowing preventative measures to be attempted in high risk animal populations.
The technology developed by the project will include systems for the reporting, management, analysis and modelling of data, which will subsequently be transferred to neighbouring countries to promote the development of an integrated regional disease early warning system. During 2010 and 2011, the project will also investigate novel non-regulatory strategies to reduce the disease risk associated with livestock movements in the region.
Progress
Good progress has been made in the six primary data collection activities:
The retrospective study of existing livestock movement data has largely been completed.
A prospective study of livestock movements began in each country in mid-2008, providing an opportunity to influence the nature of the data recorded on official movement permits.
An animal tracking study was initiated in 2008 to record the movements of ear-tagged cattle and buffaloes through road and border checkpoints, slaughterhouses, markets and other locations.
A sociological study of livestock traders and other stakeholders has made good progress in understanding the drivers and trading networks governing livestock movements in Cambodia and Lao PDR. Hundreds of trader interviews have been conducted, generating important findings.
A study of livestock population dynamics in Cambodia and Lao PDR is well underway.
A market price reporting system was developed and implemented in Cambodia and Lao PDR during 2008, introducing web-based and mobile phone (SMS) reporting methods.
By mid-2008 Government project staff in both countries had begun entering movement records and market price data into project databases using the new website and SMS reporting systems. The project's computer programs use this data to generate movement reports, movement maps and isoplethic market price maps according to month and species (cattle, buffalo and pig).
Meetings and interviews are being conducted with traders and other livestock industry stakeholders across both countries in order to develop an understanding of trading practices and the social, cultural, economic and environmental drivers of livestock movements. This sociological research is generating interesting findings and identifying opportunities for future interventions aimed at reducing the animal disease risk associated with animal movements.
The data collection phase of the project will conclude at the end of 2009, at which time the focus will change to:
analysis of the relationship between various movement drivers and livestock movements
assessment of disease reporting systems and surveillance data
analysis of risk pathways for FMD and CSF
predictive modelling (generation of a computer model capable of predicting livestock movements and the risk of disease spread)
transferring the technology developed by the project to neighbouring countries
investigation of interventions to reduce the disease risk associated with livestock movements.
Project variations
A delayed start in Cambodia and the budgetary implications of a devalued Australian dollar prompted a revision of various project activities and outputs early in 2009. Consequently:
The project now has an amended duration of 4.5 years, and a new finish date of 31st October 2011.
Project activities in Cambodia and Lao PDR, which were originally intended to be implemented in a staggered fashion, will now take place simultaneously.
The data collection period for most activities was extended until the end of 2009.
Experienced veterinary consultants have been successfully engaged in Cambodia and Laos to perform roles originally envisaged for Australian volunteers and sociologists, including supervision of various project activities, training of staff, and collection of data from livestock traders and other stakeholders.
Collaboration
As planned, opportunities for collaboration with other projects and organisations have been actively pursued (see section 8). Project outputs are being aligned as much as possible with regional disease control strategies, particularly the Southeast Asia Foot and Mouth Disease (SEAFMD) Campaign, managed by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).
In Laos, where project inception occurred in July 2008, a number of activities are being conducted in collaboration with ACIAR project AH/2006/159: 'Best practice health and husbandry of cattle and buffalo in Lao PDR'. The information generated by livestock population monitoring and investigation of livestock movements and marketing is valuable to both projects.
Expected benefits
WA and Australia expect to benefit from strengthening animal health management and biosecurity in the region. The long term goal of participant and neighbouring countries is the control of transboundary diseases, particularly foot and mouth disease and swine fever. Control of these diseases by our trading partners, and in those countries where increasing numbers of Australians tourists (including from WA) are travelling, will contribute to the strengthening our national biosecurity.

The project made good progress during 2009 -2010 in its efforts to understand livestock movements in the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS). An improved understanding of these movement patterns is a fundamental requirement for the regional strategy to control Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) in South-East Asia through the SEAFMD campaign.
The disease threat posed by uncontrolled FMD in mainland South-East Asia was demonstrated early in 2010 by FMD outbreaks in South Korea, Hong Kong and Japan, all of which featured a South-East Asian strain of the virus. These outbreaks have emphasised the importance to Australia of continuing to support disease control programs in South-East Asia in order to reduce the biosecurity threat posed by its northern neighbours.
Major data collection activities were completed in Cambodia and Laos at the end of 2009. These activities were managed by our project partners in South-East Asia, the Cambodian Department of Animal Health and Production (DAHP) and Lao PDR Department of Livestock and Fisheries (DLF). Follow-up efforts to obtain missing livestock movement records and livestock price data from various Cambodian and Lao provinces will be completed by June 2010. Analysis of this data will proceed throughout 2010 to determine if market prices are clearly predictive of animal movements.
Activity 1.2.1 ('Working with traders') has been a standout success, generating valuable descriptions of trade routes and volumes, trader networks and trading practices within Cambodia and Laos. Part of this activity was conducted in collaboration with an OIE-managed FAO ADB study into cross-border livestock movements in the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS), the report of which should soon be available on the SEAFMD website.
The project's assessment of disease reporting in Cambodia and Laos (Activity 1.3.1) suggests that there is presently inadequate knowledge of disease incidence and prevalence throughout these countries to allow a disease risk to be estimated for livestock movements. The project's predictive computer model can therefore not be supported by the present level of disease reporting in Cambodia and Laos. The potential application of this technology in other GMS countries will be explored throughout 2010 and 2011.
Feedback meetings were held throughout Cambodia and Laos during Feb-May 2010 for livestock traders, departmental staff and other project stakeholders who contributed information during 2008 and 2009. These meetings have been used to present with project results, and to canvass these stakeholders about the preferred means of delivering the disease biosecurity education that they have requested.
The development and delivery of trader education in various formats will be trialled during 2010 and 2011 as a means of reducing disease spread. It is hoped that a better understanding of disease behaviour may discourage some of the high-risk trading practices that were identified during our interviews with livestock traders.
The ongoing contact with Cambodian and Lao trader networks that will be provided by the project's trader education activity is also intended to increase the opportunity for the Cambodian and Lao governments to consult with this important stakeholder group when developing policy and protocols associated with the livestock trade.
A Risk Pathway Workshop was co-hosted by the project at the 8th Meeting of the Lower Mekong Working Group (LMWG) in November 2009 as part of Activity 1.3.2 (Risk pathway analysis for FMD and CSF). This workshop built on information collected from traders about trade routes, trading practices and trader networks. Important risk pathways have consequently been identified, together with 'critical points' along those pathways where disease reduction interventions might be attempted. A workshop report is available at the project website: http://ulm.animalhealthresearch.asia/
It was agreed at our Annual Project Meeting in Vientiane in March 2010 that risk analyses would be attempted during 2010 for the most important of the livestock trade pathways identified by the project. These analyses will include comparative assessment of the disease risk associated with official and unofficial border crossings, and will also assess the effect of fast-tracking slaughter movements rather than applying protracted movement protocols involving compulsory quarantine periods for imported livestock.
It is expected that these results will form the basis of 'policy briefs' that can be used by SEAFMD and other influential organisations to help guide GMS governments in the development of workable and effective policies for livestock movement management and disease control. Such an outcome would contribute significantly to improved animal health management and biosecurity in the region, with consequent biosecurity benefits for WA and Australia.

ACIAR Project AH/2006/025 aims to understand livestock movements in Cambodia and Laos in order to assess the role that they play in the spread of transboundary animal diseases in the Mekong region. There was a surge in Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreaks in these countries during 2010/2011 which affected 13 of 17 provinces in Laos and 18 of 23 provinces in Cambodia. The consequent regional risk was emphasised by FMD outbreaks during 2010 in Hong Kong, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, China, and Mongolia. Laboratory investigation implicated FMD-endemic parts of mainland Southeast Asia as the source of FMD viruses that caused these recent outbreaks in East Asia, highlighting the ongoing importance of ACIAR research to assess and reduce the disease risk associated with livestock movements in the Mekong region.
At the project's Annual Meeting in March 2010, project stakeholders agreed that the project had significantly improved the understanding of livestock trading and movement pathways in Cambodia and Laos, satisfying the project's primary objective. The meeting subsequently considered how this information could best be used to achieve the project's second objective: to investigate non-regulatory interventions which might reduce the risk of disease spread associated with the livestock trade.
A Project Review in August 2010 supported the recommendations of the Annual Meeting, endorsing three main activities for the project to focus on during 2010-2011:
Development and trial of educational materials in Cambodia and Laos aimed at training livestock traders in simple, practical biosecurity measures to apply in the course of their work.
Risk analysis of major livestock trade routes in Cambodia and Laos, especially those featuring transboundary movements, in order to help policy-makers better manage livestock movements and develop feasible and effective border crossing protocols.
Technology transfer of the project's computer systems to interested countries in the Greater Mekong Sub-region, with the intention that project's systems for online data entry, data management, creation of reports and maps, and predictive modelling of livestock movements will assist animal health authorities in the region to better manage animal movements and disease control.
Educational materials were trialled with Lao livestock traders during 2010. They have undergone further trial and refinement in 2011, and now include a booklet, poster and digital story.
The biosecurity message has been distilled into a simple, generic 5-step biosecurity approach for traders to apply in the course of a typical buying trip. Equivalent Khmer-language versions are being developed for Cambodia.
Project personnel are contributing to the collaborative production of a combined ACIAR project publication on best practice in livestock health and biosecurity. Produced initially in English, this publication will serve to guide ongoing and future production and biosecurity research in Cambodia and Laos. The publication will also be a key compendium of production and biosecurity information for livestock producers and traders suitable for translation into Khmer and Lao.
The Cambodian Department of Animal Health and Production (DAHP) and Lao Department of Livestock and Fisheries (DLF) continue to lead project activities in those countries, assisted by project consultants with specific research skills. Although these partner organisations have been very busy dealing with animal disease emergencies during 2010-2011, they have nevertheless facilitated a number of project activities, including feedback meetings for stakeholders, trial of educational materials, and collection of information required by the risk assessment activity.
The project's computer systems for entry and management of livestock movement data continue to be supported in Cambodia and Laos by AusVet Animal Health Services. AusVet is also leading efforts to share project technology with other countries in the Greater Mekong Sub-region, with opportunities in Myanmar and China presently being investigated.
The Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia (DAFWA) and Murdoch University are leading the risk analysis activity, and jointly ran a risk analysis workshop in January 2011. The project subsequently presented a risk assessment of a major Cambodian livestock pathway at the 2011 Meeting of the OIE Sub-commission for Foot-and-Mouth Disease in South-East Asia and China (SEACFMD). The assessment investigated a transit route which runs from Thailand through Cambodia into southern Vietnam. Murdoch University continues to support a Chinese PhD student who is investigating livestock trade routes into China from Laos and Myanmar.
Project stakeholders have always accepted that the movement data collected by the project during 2008-2009 only represented a 'snapshot' of the livestock trade in the Mekong, and that the knowledge we developed about trading practices and trader networks was likely to be of more enduring value. Nevertheless, the updated trade information that we have collected during 2010-2011 in the course of conducting feedback meetings for traders and investigating particular trade routes have surprised us by reiterating how rapidly trade patterns can change.
Recent field work in Laos and Cambodia during April/May 2011 was intended to assist our risk assessment of two trade routes: the transit trade in Thai cattle and buffaloes moving through Cambodia to Vietnam, and the so-called 'fast-track' trade in cattle and buffaloes moving from Thailand and Myanmar through north-western Laos to China. Our 2011 research has found that the 'fast-track' trade to China has stopped altogether, and the Cambodian transit trade is operating at a fraction of the peak volumes it reached in 2009. In both cases, currency fluctuations are reported to have been an important contributing factor, with the multiple currency exchanges required to move livestock between three or four countries significantly depressing trader profits. This finding has reinforced the fact that economic variables are an important feature to consider when attempting risk assessments of trade routes, and when developing import and export protocols with which traders are expected to comply.
The predictive influence of prices on livestock movements is the subject of computer modelling research by the project's PhD student, the results of which are due for release later in 2011.

In Indonesia outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in poultry were first reported in August 2003. Initial cases were not contained and HPAI strain H5N1 has since spread throughout the country, with 31 out of 33 provinces now affected. Mortalities due to H5N1 have occurred in layers, broilers, native chickens, quails, pigeons, aquatic, wild and cage birds. Human infections with H5N1 also continue to occur in Indonesia, with the disturbingly high rate of deaths. Indonesian Government has opted for vaccination as a control measure in order to reduce the incidence of H5N1 infection and thereby the threat to human health. Vaccination has been undertaken in the context of an infection that has become endemic, where a large proportion of poultry are kept under low biosecurity and the unique nature of the H5N1, which has a number of properties not previously encountered in AI. Therefore vaccination strategies developed in countries with good resources, highly structured poultry industries, geographical compactness, and where infections occurred with less aggressive AI viruses, might need to be adjusted.

The strategies used in this project aim to identify the most efficacious vaccination strategy to reduce the incidence of HPAI in poultry. Specifically the project aims are to: (i) Assess the breadth and duration of immunity induced by various inactivated AI vaccines; (ii) characterise AI isolates from poultry vaccinated with selected vaccines (iii) develop reagents to differentiate field infections in vaccinated poultry (DIVA); (iv) develop protocols for investigating apparent vaccine failures for HPAI and (v) develop a simple state-transition model of HPAI infection.

The project is a collaboration between Indonesian Research Center for Veterinary Science (Bbalitvet), Bogor, Indonesia and three organisations in Australia: the University of Melbourne School of Veterinary Science (UoM), CSIRO Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL) and AusVet Pty/Ltd.

The project commenced in late September 2007 when the majority of legal agreements were signed and project development process completed. This includes exchange of material of transfer agreements (MTA) related to the transfer and use of Indonesian HPAI strains in Australia. Initially it was ensured that standardized procedure and reagents are in place enabling comparison of results with other studies conducted internationally and in Indonesia. Baseline collection of data on antibody status in selected commercial flocks has commenced, as has the laboratory trail to establish levels and duration of antibody responses in controlled conditions. It was attempted to source reagents for various DIVA tests that have been published in international literature, but none were available. In the view of changing HPAI situation in Indonesia, several approaches for development of DIVA test have been considered and generation of several different reagents has commenced. Protocols and documentation on how to approach and undertake investigations of vaccination failures have been generated. A simple state transition model was developed and tested using standard parameters. This model appears functionally sound and shows promise as the basis of future modelling scenarios if suitable parameters for the Indonesian situation can be developed.

Where H5N1 is endemic, as is now the case in Indonesia, vaccine failures and disease in vaccinated birds must be expected. To further the investigation of vaccine efficacy and vaccine failures (Objectives 1 and 3) we aim to evaluate effectiveness of vaccination in commercial Sector 3 and develop methodologies, which Indonesian veterinarian authorities can apply to apparent vaccine failures. A comprehensive epidemiological study has commenced using the protocol developed in year 1. Sixty farms in three districts with highest concentration of poultry in the province of West Java were visited and data collected on flock health, vaccination and management. Analysis showed variable vaccination practices and importantly that disease outbreaks due to H5N1 are un-common. This finding has significant implications and supports the current vaccination policies. To confirm this observation samples were collected from selected farms for analysis of immunity and H5N1 status. A database, accessible to staff in Indonesia and Australia, has been developed for entry and analysis of epidemiological data. A bio-economic model (Objective 6) of Indonesian poultry flocks was developed and will be used to evaluate financial impacts of HPIA infection and prevention in surveyed flocks.
Characterisation of H5N1 isolates from vaccinated commercial poultry have progressed (Objective 4). Surveillance in village poultry by FAO has shown that H5N1 is already changing significantly in Indonesia. We attempted to characterise H5N1 isolates in Sector 3 where vaccination is comprehensive and biosecurity level is variable. Samples were collected from 20 multi-age farms vaccinated with four vaccines. A molecular test indicated that a large proportion of farms were positive for H5N1. This finding was unexpected and contradicted the survey data from Sector 3. Attempts to recover AI from these samples were unsuccessful. Further sampling will be carried out to elucidate this finding. Six H5N1 isolates collected by Bbalitvet between 2003 and 2007 were fully sequenced to obtain background data for comparison with isolates from vaccinated flocks. Sequence analysis showed that, in addition to variations in haemmagglutinin gene, variations also occurred in two other genes that play a role in AI infectivity.
Control of H5N1 in poultry is achieved using H5N2 inactivated vaccines. This strategy enables detection of H5N1 infections in vaccinated poultry using tests known as DIVA (differentiation of infected from vaccinated animals). Several approaches were undertaken to generate cheap, reliable and robust DIVA tests suitable for application on a large scale (Objective 2). Three H5N1 proteins, neuraminidase (N1), NS1 and M2 were evaluated as DIVA antigens. The N1 was purified and used in an immunoassay with a range of reference and field sera. Results showed that N1-based test could differentiate between vaccinated and non-vaccinated chickens however it could not be used for DIVA because of cross-reactive antibodies. This work was undertaken in Bbalitvet and a paper describing this work has been submitted for publication. The NS1 and M2 proteins are present in infected but not in vaccinated chickens, and are therefore good candidates for DIVA strategy. Both proteins are however difficult to obtain in sufficient quantities, and cheaply. We evaluated different in vitro expression systems to generate NS1 and M2 in large quantities and sufficient test specificity. Comparison of five expressed proteins identified one M2 construct that was able to differentiate infected and vaccinated chicks, with minimal non-specific reactions. Further modifications to this M2 construct are being made to produce a robust and simple DIVA test for routine diagnostic applications in Indonesia.
Information from this project contributes to showing that currently used vaccines are controlling H5N1 efficiently and that Sector 3 does not contribute to maintenance of H5N1 in the environment; therefore no need to curtail or re-structure this sector. Application of the DIVA test will support vaccination as an effective strategy potentially resulting in eradication, the goal of the currently implemented strategy.
During the period a John Allwright Fellow, commenced postgraduate study leading to Master of Veterinary Science. One project team member received training in Australia. Workshops on sampling for epidemiological survey were held with staff from two Disease Investigation Centres in West Java. One paper was accepted for publication. Three team members attended the 7th International Symposium on Avian Influenza, at the University of Georgia, Athens, USA. The Annual Project Meeting was held in Bbalitvet, Bogor, in March 2009.
The presence of H5N1 influenza virus in South East Asia, including Indonesia, is a potential source for transmission to Australia. Incursion and spread of H5N1 in Australia would represent a significant threat to public health and also to the profitability and sustainability of the local poultry industry. Australian Government is vitally interested in upgrading the readiness and strengthening the technical capability to respond effectively to H5N1 incursion. This project contributes to the national capacity building in several areas including disease monitoring and better understanding of the epidemiology of disease, capabilities that will help in formulating better response to the disease. Research links with Indonesia offer unique opportunity to broaden the knowledge and skill base in dealing with a quickly changing viral pathogen, experience applicable to other zoonotic agents and pathogens of veterinary importance in Australia.

The project aims to gather baseline information and provide a framework for the development of long-term salinity management strategies in central and southern Iraq. The assessment of salt distribution and its drivers and irrigation water salinity at different scales - farm, irrigation district, and river basin - are the key features of the project. This information will be used to develop methodologies for salinity control and productivity enhancement of saline water and salt-affected soils. The project implementation sites are in Wasit (Al-Dujaila area/project), Babil (Al-Musaib area/project), and Basra (Abu-Al-Khaseeb area/project).
The overall project objectives are: (1) To develop a robust conceptualisation of salinization processes in central and southern Iraq based on information available on salinization at field and basin level and quantify salt and water fluxes and areas affected by salinity; (2) To determine appropriate strategic approaches to manage salinity that suit local environmental and socio-economic conditions; (3) To assessment of key productivity limitations and opportunities to wheat-based irrigated agricultural systems; and (4) To develop investment options for ongoing salinity management in Iraq.
The project objectives are addressed by undertaking research across three scales (i.e. regional, irrigation district, and farm) and through seven research components (A to G) and four process components (H to K). The project objectives are further divided into specific objectives at the component level. The specific objectives of the project research and process components are:
At regional scale:
A: To quantify the spatial distribution of soil salinity based on information available on salinization at field and basin level and its causes in central and southern Iraq (Component A)
B: To describe the qualitative and quantitative trends in river and drainage water for central and southern Iraq (Component B)
At irrigation district scale:
C: To quantify and describe the relationship between groundwater levels, groundwater salinity and irrigation activity (Component C)
D: To assess the current state of irrigation and drainage infrastructure (Component D)
At farm scale:
E: To demonstrate best bet practices for different salt tolerant crops, crop varieties and fodders (Component E)
F: To develop methodologies to improve soil, agronomic, irrigation water and drainage management for salinity control (Component F)
All scales:
G: To identify socio-economic and policy constraints to the effective use and remediation of saline land and water resources in central and southern Iraq at the basin-, irrigation-district and farm-scales (Component G)
H: To build capacity of Iraqi researchers involved in the project (Component H)
I: To develop investment options for supporting continued salinity management in Iraq and linking with other potential donors (Component I)
J: To integrate project research components to deliver on the project objectives and outputs (Component J)
H: To communicate for building the teams and networks in Iraq, and ensure 'sustainability' of the project-led activities in the post-project phase (Component K)
The project was launched with an inception workshop at ICARDA on 5-9 December 2010, with 29 participants from five ministries of Iraq (Agriculture, Water Resources, Science and Technology, Higher Education and Scientific Research, and Environment); 16 from ICARDA; one from the University of Western Australia; four from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO); two from the International Water Management Institute (IWMI); and three from International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA); and two from Syria. The representatives of the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), Ms Erica Fergusson; and Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), Dr Ian Willett also participated in the inception workshop. The participants worked on the project work plan with outputs and activities for the seven research components along with the budget allocation to these components. Since the start of the project, there have been regular visits of scientists from the international and Australian institutions to follow up on planning of the project-led activities.
The first meeting of the Project Steering Committee was held on 9 December 2010 under the chairmanship of Dr Mahdy Al-Qaisi, the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Iraq. It approved the terms of reference for the Project Steering Committee, composition of the Project Technical Committee and its terms of reference, and approved the project work plan and budget for year 1.
After the inception workshop, ICARDA as the coordinating organization communicated with the each partner institution to sign Memorandum of Agreement for distribution of funds as a part of the funding arrangement. Fund transfers to all the institutions for the first six months have been undertaken according to respective institutional budget allocations.
Although the project work plan and budget were prepared in December 2010, the communication and follow-up on project-led activities from Iraq were very slow during January-February 2011. This was due to the late project approval notification (23 February 2011) from the Iraq Ministry of Agriculture along with the establishment of teams for research components from Iraq. Without this notification, the project team was not able to undertake project activities officially. The communication and follow up at the project and component level remained highly variable during March-April 2011.
The first meeting of the Project Technical Committee was held on 25-26 April 2011 at ICARDA headquarters. The meeting specifically: (1) Revisited work plan for research components - expected changes at activity level, person(s) responsible for each activity, details of training activities in each component, budget estimation for each research activity and training; (2) proposed corrections, additions or suggestions for the research and process components in regard to the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Framework; and (3) developed work plan for process components.
Since the first meeting of the Project Technical Committee, there have been significant progress and communication leading to a good recovery from the delayed start and implementation of project-led activities. This was noted in the second meeting of the Project Steering Committee, which was held on 14-15 May 2011 under the chairmanship of Dr Mahdy Al-Qaisi, the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Iraq. This meeting was initially scheduled back-to-back with the first Project Technical Committee meeting at ICARDA headquarters, but had to move to Amman because of travel advisory to the members of the Project Steering Committee from Australia. The second Project Steering Committee reviewed the progress of project research and process components including the communication strategy, financial and administrative matters, resource mobilization, and integration of M&E Framework into project activities and its implementation to monitor and evaluate the project progress. While considering significant overlap between components I (investment options for supporting continued salinity management in Iraq and linking with other potential donors, and J (integration of project research components to deliver on the project objectives and outputs J), the committee approved the merger of both for effective implementation and reporting.
During the reporting period, there were two training events organized at ICARDA headquarters: (1) training course on using GIS, field-scale spectral, and salinity measurement techniques (20-28 March 2011); and (2) training workshop on field sampling design for salinity mapping (29-31 March 2011). A comprehensive training plan has been developed to undertake six training courses and three working sessions by involving 24 scientists from Iraq. These training courses and working sessions will be organized in Amman, Jordan, 19-30 June 2011. These training courses and working sessions will help the Iraqi team in follow up and implementation of project activities in Iraq. These training courses and working sessions were initially scheduled at ICARDA headquarters, but had to move to Jordan because of travel advisory to the scientists from Australia.
In order to have effective communication among the project members, Iraq Salinity Project Web Portal has been operational since 14 March 2011. This Web Portal provides a range of options at the project level communication among the members such as uploading project documents and work plans, documents related to salinity and Iraq, and relevant data (large files up to 20 MB size) for use by other members; adding schedules of training and meeting events; communicating through blog entries; and adding new members as and when needed. Currently, there are more than 50 members of the Web Portal. They can access this Web Portal from any internet-based facility.
In terms of external communication and introduction of the project, a draft brochure has been prepared. This brochure provides information on project background, objectives, and approach in terms of salinity distribution at different scales and salinity management for productivity enhancement of saline water and salt-affected soils.
Overall project coordination and communication amongst ICARDA, Iraqi institutions and Australian institutions, and international organizations was managed by e-mail, Project Web Portal, and telephone.

The lowland and upland farming systems of rainfed southern Lao PDR have been identified as having elevated risk of hunger and rising rural poverty. The Government of Lao PDR recognises the south as an agricultural economy in transition, with a need to ensure that the poor participate in and benefit from the transition process. Increasing the supply of food and generating income from these systems is constrained by low fertility soils, weed competition, production and market risk (including drought and flood) and increasing cost of labour. Ineffective value chains and poor market access, inappropriate product quality, lack of infrastructure, extension and policy support, and complexities of gender roles impede farmers' efforts to change their farming systems. Risk-averse producers have little incentive to invest in better production and higher inputs.
Nevertheless, the lowlands and uplands in the south have potential for market surplus in rice, other crops and livestock, and therefore, a better understanding of regional market potential and comparative advantage is important. In the southern rice-based systems, there are opportunities to intensify and diversify the production systems with livestock and other crops, through the development of new technologies, and the adaptation of knowledge from the northern uplands of Lao PDR and neighbouring countries. Through better use of water resources, there is the opportunity to explore the use of supplementary irrigation to secure rice-based systems against drought, and improve prospects for short-duration post-rice crops and forages for livestock production in lowlands and uplands.
In the first year, a multidisciplinary research team from institutions in Lao PDR, Australia and Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), has established strategic and adaptive field research in the provinces of Savannakhet and Champassak to achieve the following objectives:
Diagnosis and integrated assessment of farming and marketing systems
Optimisation, testing and adaptation of crop and livestock technologies and new marketing and extension approaches
Sharing of knowledge and pilot scaling out of varieties, crop and livestock technologies and marketing approaches
Alleviation of constraints posed by drought and uncontrolled flooding

The analysis of farmers' and value chain operations and synthesis of best-bet technologies has commenced, including transect analysis from lowlands to uplands, and from subsistence to commodity agriculture. Systems research has commenced around several hubs in Savannakhet and Champassak provinces. Adaptive on-farm research is established on approximately 300 farms in ten villages associated with these systems hubs to improve productivity and income from diversified systems in the lowlands and uplands, including attention to the priority poor upland districts of Sepon, Phim and Nong. These adaptive research trials focus on resource management, direct seeding, short-duration post-rice crops such as pulses, vegetables and forages, and the integration of ruminant livestock. On-station trials have been established to understand the interactions underpinning these diversifying mixed-farming systems. Increased National Agriculture & Forestry Research Institute (NAFRI) support to its research centres in the South, via new appointments, and training is raising research capacity in the southern provinces. Farm income should be increased and risks should be lowered in lowlands and uplands with supplementary watering, as systems diversify with reduced labour requirements, direct seeding and appropriate mechanisation to secure increased and stabilised rice, post-rice crop and forage yields and younger and heavier cattle.

The lowland and upland farming systems of rainfed southern Lao PDR have been identified as having elevated risk of hunger and rising rural poverty. The Government of Lao PDR recognises the south as an agricultural economy in transition, with a need to ensure that the poor participate in and benefit from the transition process. Increasing the supply of food and generating income from these systems is constrained by low fertility soils, weed competition, production and market risk (including drought and flood) and increasing cost of labour. Ineffective value chains and poor market access, inappropriate product quality, lack of infrastructure, extension and policy support, and complexities of gender roles impede farmers' efforts to change their farming systems. Risk-averse producers have little incentive to invest in better production and higher inputs.
Nevertheless, the lowlands and uplands in the south have potential for market surplus in rice, other crops and livestock, and therefore, a better understanding of regional market potential and comparative advantage is important. In the southern rice-based systems, there are opportunities to intensify and diversify the production systems with livestock and other crops, through the development of new technologies, and the adaptation of knowledge from the northern uplands of Lao PDR and neighbouring countries. Through better use of water resources, there is the opportunity to explore the use of supplementary irrigation to secure rice-based systems against drought, and improve prospects for short-duration post-rice crops and forages for livestock production in lowlands and uplands. Farm income should be increased and risks should be lowered in lowlands and uplands with supplementary watering, as systems diversify with reduced labour requirements, direct seeding and appropriate mechanisation to secure increased and stabilised rice, post-rice crop and forage yields and younger and heavier cattle.
A multidisciplinary research team from institutions in Lao PDR, Australia and Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), has established strategic and adaptive field research in the provinces of Savannakhet and Champassak, on-station and on-farm during the 2010 wet season and 2010/2011 dry season, with the following objectives:
Diagnosis and integrated assessment of farming and marketing systems
Optimisation, testing and adaptation of crop and livestock technologies and new marketing and extension approaches
Sharing of knowledge and pilot scaling out of varieties, crop and livestock technologies and marketing approaches
Alleviation of constraints posed by drought and uncontrolled flooding

In the first year, the analysis of farmers' and value chain operations and synthesis of best-bet technologies has commenced, including transect analysis from lowlands to uplands, and from subsistence to commodity agriculture. Systems research has commenced around several hubs in Savannakhet and Champassak provinces. Adaptive on-farm research is established on approximately 300 farms in ten villages associated with these systems hubs to improve productivity and income from diversified systems in the lowlands and uplands, including attention to the priority poor upland districts of Sepon, Phim and Nong. These adaptive research trials focus on resource management, direct seeding, short-duration post-rice crops such as pulses, vegetables and forages, and the integration of ruminant livestock. On-station trials have been established to understand the interactions underpinning these diversifying mixed-farming systems. Increased National Agriculture & Forestry Research Institute (NAFRI) support to its research centres in the South via new appointments and training, is raising research capacity in the southern provinces.

Good progress has been made against all milestones, and preliminary work underlying later milestones is under way.
Trials have been conducted at CARDI and by GDA in different provinces, and in Australia,and promising lines have been selected. A breeding program has been started at CARDI
for submergence tolerance, and to start introgressing the traits considered important as a
result of the survey.
Equipment to upgrade quality evaluation capacity at CARDI is on its way to IRRI and, following testing, it will be taken to CARDI.

The overall objective of the project is to improve rice establishment and productivity in rainfed and irrigated rice farming systems of Cambodia.
The project effectively commenced in May 2010.
Key objectives, outputs and activities for the first 12 months are:
1. Assess current and potential rice establishment methods.
Existing outputs literature and data on Cambodia rice farming systems was collated and compiled into a database available through a website at the University of South Australia.
A farmer survey was undertaken in 3 target provinces (Takeo, Kampot and Kampong Thom) Analysis of the farmer survey has commenced and continues. Progress on the survey conduct, coding and analysis has been slower than desired and is expected in September 2011.
2. Assemble a spatial database about Cambodia to better target establishment options.
A spatial data base known as Cambodia Land and Environment Atlas and Resource (CLEAR) has been assembled and is preparing for a beta release. This database has been populated with data accessed from existing data and potential users. The release of the beta version is planned for June 2011.
The CARDI soils laboratory has been enhanced to allow improved soil analysis to be undertaken so that field experiments can be fully understood.. New equipment and resources have been ordered but have not yet arrived for use. Laboratory staff member has undertaken a staff mentoring and training program from experienced Australian soils researchers where new laboratory techniques and general good laboratory management were emphasised. The updated laboratory manual is being translated into Khmer
3. Identify strategies to improve rice establishment and weed management
Field experiments have been undertaken by all Cambodian collaborators - CARDI, GDA and RUA comparing improved methods of rice establishment and weed management. These experiments provided the opportunity for our Cambodian collaborators to enhance their ability to conduct adaptive research. These experiments have been conducted in both wet season (rainfed) and dry season (irrigated) rice growing systems, in replicated experiments on research stations and un-replicated trials on farmers fields. The results of the experiments point to the success of drum seeders and associated lower seeding rates, and the successful use of herbicides for weed control in rice.
Training materials on use of new establishment technology including drum seeders and seed drills have been developed in Khmer and weed control training materials for Cambodia have been developed by IRRI researchers.
4. Evaluate new practices
Field trials have been initiated in dry rice growing season by CARDI, GDA and RUA although linkages between these organisations and agri-business have yet to be developed.
5. Build capacity of Cambodian participating organisations - Cambodian researchers are undertaking replicated field experimentation as part of the project in conjunction - Several meeting to share experiences, and information have been conducted.
6. In Australia, literature review has been conducted and field experiments were undertaken to investigate techniques to improve rice establishment and the tolerance of rice varieties to saline water. These experiments have been compromised to some extent by the end of the drought and the very wet summer that ensued. Issues with cockatoos, plague locusts, ducks and then mice plague conditions.

During 2008-2009 progress has occurred on several fronts. A field research program has commenced on priority research topics identified by project scientists and local extension officers and farmers. Policy and institutional settings have been further studied through two detailed field trips. An approach for analysing household livelihoods will be based on previous ACIAR funded research in Indonesia. Details are outlined below.
A workshop held in Qingyang in April 2009 identified research topics for on-farm research during the current growing season. Farmers, local extension officers, Chinese and Australian project staff participated in research priority identification. Detailed research protocols were developed and implemented in the following areas:
Evaluation of alternative forage crop species in each of three research locations.
Identification of lucerne management and harvest practices for improved quantity and quality of forage.
Exploration of winter wheat as a dual purpose grain and graze forage option.
Identification of improved ration mixes for sheep and goats utilising available feed resources.
Two extensive field trips in the study region have characterised current policy and intuitional settings relevant to local livestock enterprises. A greatly improved understanding of the complex and sometimes conflicting policies that relate to livestock production has emerged. An important finding relevant to both researchers and policy makers is the challenge of connecting local household livestock producers to livestock markets.
A workshop held in St. Lucia, Australia in August 2008 evaluated alternative analytical approaches to understanding livestock production from integrated crop - livestock farming systems. The key characteristics of the local Gansu system include a diverse range of potential forage sources and crop residues, pen feeding of sheep and goats, severely constrained land resources, constrained labour resources, climate variability and market uncertainty. The Integrated Analysis Tool (IAT), developed in previous ACIAR projects, was selected as the main framework for analysing household livelihoods in this project. The IAT will require significant development, for example inclusion of sheep and goats and local forage and crop options, before it can be applied to local farming system issues.

During 2009-2010 significant progress has been made under Objective 1, implementing a participatory research program into forage production and livestock growth; Objective 2, analysis of institutional and policy settings; and Objective 3, developing capacity for analysing crop-livestock farming systems. Work on Objective 4, evaluation of productivity and resource-use efficiency under farmer-managed conditions will commence in 2010-2011.
A series of forage agronomy experiments were conducted during the 2009 and 2010 seasons under Objective 1. The experiments included; lucerne harvest time, lucerne cutting height, dual purpose (grain and graze) winter wheat, and a comparison of annual forage crops. All experiments were conducted as part of a Masters or PhD postgraduate research project enrolled with Lanzhou University. Highlights from the 2009 season include a significant opportunity for increasing harvestable lucerne forage by shifting to a harvest schedule based on appearance of first-flower, a large grain yield penalty from grazing winter wheat, and higher yield potential from summer forage crops compared to winter forages. Research is proceeding in 2010.
In addition, a cashmere goat feeding trial evaluated the influence of different proportions of lucerne hay in the diet on liveweight gain of weaned kids. The inclusion of lucerne in the diet increased the rate of liveweight gain compared to a diet comprised only of maize straw and feed concentrate. Once lucerne was included in the diet, liveweight gains increased at a decreasing rate with any additional lucerne. This suggests the possibility of conserving lucerne and feeding out gradually over the year rather than the current practice of feeding lucerne when it is green and growing. Further feeding trials are planned in 2010, focussing on the role of maize silage.
Research on Objective 2 of the project - to identify and analyse institutional and policy settings relevant to crop livestock systems in Qingyang City - has progressed essentially as planned. The significant amount of fieldwork and the detailed policy review required to fulfil this project objective has been conducted, and information has been collated and ordered. An early analysis of this information is reported in Brown et al. (2009), while several other papers that link Objective 2 with other objectives of the project are under development. In doing so, further information gaps have become apparent, especially on how policies and institutions on crop-livestock systems in Qingyang relate to those at higher, especially province and central, levels. Interviews in Beijing in June 2010 aim to fill these information gaps.
At the same time, fieldwork allowed for the identification of other issues that are beyond the scope of the initial policy and institutional analysis but which will impact significantly on the broader project objectives. In particular, as a result of several major external shocks (the global financial crisis and volatile food prices), the period 2007-2009 has been time of major change in agricultural and rural markets and industries in China. Data on broader industry developments and market prices was collated in form suitable for input into the economic modelling component of the project.
As envisioned in the project design, the policy, institutional, market / industry information collated so far is important in defining the broader environment in which the farm-levels analysis of the project is conducted. While these settings have been communicated between project collaborators, and policy-makers have been consulted throughout the course of the project, the more formal policy-science linkage workshops planned for the project have been delayed to commencement in 2011, when more developed project findings can be presented to policy makers, thus forming a two-way exchange that is a key component of the project.
The Integrated Analysis Tool (IAT) has been adapted to local farming systems as part of research activity under Objective 3. Key changes included parameterisation for local breeds of sheep (Tan and Han) and goats (Cashmere, Longdong), and development of forage supply quantities and forage quality for key local forage sources including; lucerne, maize silage, wheat straw and feed concentrates. Initial analyses have focussed on farm land allocation to grain or forage crops, lucerne harvest practices, and comparing different feeding strategies to utilise available feed resources. A complementary analysis will identify feed gaps under traditional farmer practice and strategies for addressing the feed gap through a combination of improving the feed resource base and improving the utilisation of available feed.
The 2010-2011 reporting period will see a gradual shift in research focus towards integrated analysis of whole farm productivity, profitability and resource use efficiency at the household scale. Preliminary IAT land allocation results have been obtained in one of the three sites, and it is expected that by June 2011 modelling results will available for three scenarios in the three project locations. The three scenarios are all linked to small ruminant production and include: different land allocations, higher lucerne yields obtained through optimal harvesting and feed year planning centred on strategic feeding of lucerne. The main interest is whether significant gains in household income can be achieved for only small losses in food supply when alternative lucerne harvesting and feeding strategies are used.

In the past reporting period progress has been made towards better understanding the biophysical and economic processes operating in the project's location. This has been achieved through a) conducting crop and livestock experimental trials b) developing location specific whole-farm models to assess net income income-grain supply tradeoffs between different enterprise mixes and government policies and c) monitoring on-farm practices. This research has been an integrated effort between Lanzhou University students, Lanzhou University staff and Australian scientists. The modelling and interpreting of research results is currently progressing. In the upcoming year there will be an increased interaction between extension agents, farmers and project scientists.
Progress related to the different components of the project is as follows:
A series of forage agronomy experiments were conducted in 2009 and 2010. These experiments highlight how the management of current crops and the adoption of alternative crops can influence livestock feed availability, and hence household livelihoods.
Two cashmere goat feeding trials have now been conducted. One trial evaluated how different proportions of lucerne hay in a diet can influence liveweight gains of weaned kids. The second trial focused on the effect of lucerne quality on the liveweight gains of weaned kids. In 2011-2012 a third experiment will focus on how feeding maize silage influences the liveweight gains of weaned kids.
The Integrated Assessment Tool (IAT) was used to assess changes in net income and food security when households altered their crop-livestock mix to meet government targets. The IAT used three farm types. These farm types were determined using Principal Component Analysis and Cluster Analysis.
A village-level model was developed to help scale up the farm-level analyses. Lucerne-growing subsidies and more integrated livestock feed markets are required if households are to meet livestock development goals.
A feed-demand analysis was conducted to assess if current farming systems can support increased livestock numbers. Results from the IAT and feed-gap analysis are consistent with each other, and highlight the need to increase livestock forage resources.
In relation to the policy-related work, preliminarily results related to the above research were presented to the Huanxian Animal Husbandry Bureau in June 2010. This interaction session created an opportunity for project staff and local officials to interact and exchange ideas in an informal setting. The interaction session had approximately 20 participants. The topics covered included the timing and frequency of feed shortages in current farming systems, potential for implementation of alternative feeding strategies and optimal carrying capacity of local farming systems. There were two main outcomes of the session: a) local extension officers gained a better appreciation of how lucerne can be fed in conjunction with other feed sources to reduce feed deficits b) project staff gained a better appreciation of extension officers' ideas for feed management, including a desire to increase the use of maize silage in local systems. To improve the dissemination of results and increase linkages with policy makers, a more formal policy-science linkage workshop is planned for 2012.
A key component of the past year has been the development of strong linkages between Lanzhou University students, Lanzhou University staff and Australian scientists. These linkages are expected to have a lasting impact on the capabilities of new agricultural researchers in China and to lead to peer-reviewed publications. In addition, the capacity of Chinese counterparts has been enhanced by the Australian Youth Ambassador for Development (Joshua Philip), who has spent approximately one year in Lanzhou. Adam Komarek is spending up to one year in Lanzhou to continue research related to this ACIAR project.

This project is a collaborative project between the University of Wollongong and the Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. Its main goal is to address one of the major gaps in the study of the management of Philippine fisheries---the handline fishing sector.
The specific objectives of the project are threefold. The first objective is to carry out a preliminary investigation of the nature of handline fishery in the Philippines, including challenges confronting the sector such as illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. The second objective is benchmarking the existing legal framework for the handline fishery against domestic and international obligations and best practice. The third objective calls for an investigation of the opportunities, challenges and information gaps in developing a management plan for this fishery. The project aims to achieve these objectives by conducting field visits and appointment of enumerators to key fishing ports, and interviewing handline fishers and fish traders, local officials, and fishers co-operatives. It also analyses existing fisheries laws, particularly the new handline fishing law Republic Act 9379, and municipal fisheries ordinances, to determine whether the existing legal framework is adequate to address the challenges confronting the handline fishing industry. Workshops will be conducted in order to identify management challenges and propose mechanisms where management and policy changes may be instituted to improve the sustainability of and secure a future for the fishery.
Data Collection on the Handline Fishery
The project has selected three regions comprising a number of municipalities as project sites: Region V (Brgy Sabang, San Jose, Camariner Sur; Brgy Nato, Sagay, Camarines Sur; Sugod, Tiwi Albay; and Tabaco City, Albay); Region VIII (Sapao, Guiuan, Eastern Samar and Sabang, Borongan, Eastern Samar); and Region XII (General Santos City, SOCKSARGEN). Two project enumerators have been deployed in each Region since August 2009 to collect catch and landing data from handline vessels. Data collection is conducted every other day by the Enumerators in each fish port. The enumeration is set to finish in September 2010.
Field visits by the University of Wollongong to each of the municipality project sites have been successfully completed in November and March. The site visits included witnessing tuna landings in fish ports and interviews and group discussions with players in the handline fishing industry such as handline fishers, brokers, and fisherfolk co-operative officers to collect socio-economic data. Interviews with fisheries managers, particularly BFAR regional officials and fish port managers have been conducted to discuss some of the legal, policy, and management challenges confronting the handline sector. Preliminary reports for the three project sites are appended to this progress report.
Analysis of the Legal Framework for the Handline Fishery
The relevant domestic legislation and policies, including municipal ordinances, have been gathered and a report on the legal framework for the handline fishery is currently being prepared. The report will contain an analysis of the gaps in the legal, policy, and management framework for the fishery, as well as the compliance of the Philippines with its obligations under regional fisheries management organisations, particularly the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission affecting the handline fishing sector.
Workshop Preparations
Workshops in the three Regions are scheduled to be conducted from 11-24 October 2010 to present the outcome of the project, provide a synthesis of the issues discussed in the initial consultations with fisheries managers and handline fishers, and further discuss management challenges and options for the industry. Workshop preparations are now underway.

The capture fisheries within Indonesian waters are among the largest in the world and represent a food and income resource for tens of millions of people. They are a highly diverse and complex set of fisheries, ranging from small artisanal activities undertaken by family groups to highly industrialised and mobile fishing fleets targeting high value products. The collapse of fisheries, which is currently a worldwide phenomenon, could have severe social, economic and environmental impacts in Indonesia. A variety of fisheries assessment and management methods that can be applied in the Indonesian context need to be investigated and trialled.
This study, which commenced in July 2008, is a collaborative research project between the Indonesian Ministry for Marine Affairs and Fisheries, the University of Wollongong and CSIRO Marine & Atmospheric Research. The objectives of the research are to:
Develop new, innovative fisheries policy and management frameworks.
Develop new, fishery-specific stock assessment processes.
Develop improved scientific and policy frameworks for sustainable management of Red Snapper stocks within Indonesia waters.
The project has three main streams of activities: in Year 1, an assessment of fish market landings at a selection of seven fishing ports encompassing several provinces (West, Central & East Java, Lombok and Bali); in subsequent years, the detailed analyses of selected fisheries, and development of monitoring programs and of draft management objectives (with stakeholder participation); and, a review of the Red Snapper fisheries in terms of a re-assessment of existing catch data and of existing management practices.
At this stage of the project (Phase 1), the following progress has been made:
A Project Steering Committee has been established and meetings held every 6 months to review project progress and to advise on future activities.
An assessment of the seven fishing ports has been carried out involving rapid market assessments, as well as detailed interviews and the collection of existing fisheries statistics held locally. A summary of this work will be available shortly.
As a result of this new information from the sampling of fish markets, two fisheries have been chosen for more detailed assessment of catches and management opportunities during Phase 2 of the project. The selected fisheries are: the lemuru (sardine) fishery carried out in the Bali Straits (a large fishery for which there exists a good deal of useful data and a draft management plan); and, the painted lobster fisheries of Sadeng and Pacitan (a small fishery where very little information is available). A third fishery will be selected later in 2009.
Two of the planned three Red Snapper Workshops have been completed. The first Red Snapper Workshop dealt with the availability of data for he Red Fisheries within Indonesian waters. As a result of this workshop, a follow-up data analyses meeting was held. The second Red Snapper Workshop dealt with management issues. This workshop identified the complexities of the fisheries capturing Red Snapper within Indonesian waters and the need to re-assess the existing draft management plan. A third workshop is planned in late 2009.
Overall, the project has made good progress and has already produced new information about the fish catches in several fishing ports and a revised approach the data collection for selected fish stocks.