A review mission of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) funded project entitled Bringing about a Sustainable Agronomic Revolution in Rice Production in Asia by Reducing Preventable Pre and Postharvest Losses was conducted at Rex Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam on December 2, 2009. These activities were conducted to review the 2008-2009 activities, identify constraints and appropriate action in the current research procedures and outputs deliveries, and, plan for 2010 activities. 

The event was graced by Dr. Bui Ba Bong, Vice Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development in Vietnam, Dr. Bas Bouman, Program 2 leader, and the two projects’ regional stakeholders from Vietnam, Cambodia, Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, and Japan.

Dr. Bong also lauded the importance of the postharvest component’s current initiatives to improve the postharvest practices and combat grain losses.

The Postharvest Team of the ADB project reported about the implementation status by the regional leaders in the project key areas--Dr. Pyseth Meas for Cambodia, Dr. Phan Hieu Hien for Vietnam, and Dr. Caesar Tado for Philippines. The three spearheads and links the IRRI initiatives to the farmers in their various areas. Another topic focusing on Participatory approaches to facilitating impact, the team's major approach to project implementation, was reported the group's anthropologist, Ms. Rica Flor. 

Prior to the merged Review and Planning Workshop, the pre and post harvest components met separately with their stakeholders to discuss their take-off activities in 2010 and went on a field trip on provinces of Tieng Giang and Long An.

 The ADB RETA 13 started its implementation in November of 2008 to address the issues on reducing the vulnerability of crops to preharvest losses caused by planthopper outbreaks, and reducing the postharvest losses and increasing income through better-quality rice.