Chiang Mai, 27 May 2016 - Regulators from ASEAN Member States, Australia, and New Zealand gathered in Chiang Mai, Thailand from 23 to 27 May to discuss standards and regulatory controls related to the supply of safe and good quality milk for processing of dairy products. Countries can apply standards and regulatory controls to protect human, animal and plant life and health. Cooperation on regulatory controls and standards amongst the 12 countries under the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA) will facilitate regional trade and improve export opportunities for dairy processing businesses.

The workshop was funded by the AANZFTA Economic Cooperation Support Program (AECSP) to assist ASEAN regulators’ to implement policies and regulatory controls based on international guidelines that apply to dairy production systems. Workshop participants visited dairy farms, milk collection centres, and a milk testing laboratory to see first-hand how Thailand is implementing regulatory controls to improve the safety and quality of its milk supply to dairy processors. The workshop then provided assistance to participants to prepare national work plans to develop and implement standards and regulatory controls that will allow the domestic supply of good quality milk to national dairy processors. This will enable the processing of dairy products that meet the food safety requirements of consumers and importing countries.

The New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries and Australia’s Department of Agriculture and Water Resources jointly developed the workshop in coordination with Thailand’s National Bureau of Agricultural Commodity and Food Standards and Department of Livestock Development, with support from the ASEAN Secretariat and the AANZFTA Support Unit.

The Chiang Mai workshop represented the second phase of the Dairy Regulatory Study Programme. Phase I, completed in December 2014, was held in Australia and New Zealand where ASEAN regulators learnt how New Zealand and Australia had developed and implemented regulatory controls to ensure the safe and reliable supply of milk for dairy processing.