Asian and Pacific Network for Testing of Agricultural Machinery

The spread of agricultural mechanisation, especially in less developed countries, involves various sub-sectors (farmers’ access to capital, development infrastructure, production capacity, import regulations).

To deal with this complex set of intertwined issues, public authorities play a crucial role in the rapid and cost-effective implementation of regulations that help stakeholders overcome the obstacles to the spread of mechanised farming. For the Asia-Pacific region, this project is the responsibility of CSAM-ESCAP, the Beijing-based regional agency for sustainable mechanised agriculture of the UN’s ESCAP platform.

France is one of the 62 ex-officio members for the Asia-Pacific region and one of the 26 signatory countries of the ANTAM project. The certification of agricultural machinery is undoubtedly one of the public interventions contributing to the CSAM-ESCAP project, under the responsibility of the ANTAM network of national testing stations.

It is in this context that, at the request of the French Embassy in Bangkok, Jean- Paul Douzals has been proposed as an expert to :

• represent France on the committee (national contact point) – participate in the annual meeting; contribute to the drafting of a test protocol for motorised backpackers – with periodic updates (standardisation, norms) ;
• contributing to training activities on the implementation of the test protocol in 2016 (1 week), in Malaysia and in 2017 (2 weeks), Nanjing station – China. The ANTAM Standard Codes have been drafted with the aim of harmonising test standards to promote the safe, efficient and environmentally sound use of agricultural machinery in support of the MDGs. The first preliminary editions have already been reviewed since 2015.