Narrative
Full Description
Project narrative
In 2023, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI) received USD 2.8 million from the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Special Fund for 13 projects. MHESI directed the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) to carry out three of these projects: the technology transfer and value addition of edible mushrooms, sustainable cassava production, and standards for high-speed rail products. The project on sustainable cassava production is carried out by the National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC) of NSTDA. The project was provided THB 10,161,603 for three years (2024-2027). The project will extend the application of clean cassava seed production and disease diagnostic technologies to achieve broader utilization in the Mekong region countries. Dr. Saengsoon Charoenvilaisiri, a researcher at the Monoclonal Antibody Production and Application Research Team at BIOTEC, is the project leader. An unveiling ceremony was held by NSTDA on April 3, 2024.
Staff comments
1. Other project titles include ‘Promotion of Sustainable Cassava Production in the Mekong Region through Dissemination of Cassava Mosaic Disease Diagnostic and Clean Cassava Seed Production Technologies'. 2. Some sources state that the 2023 MoU was not approved until January 2, 2024. This issue warrants further investigation. 3. The Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) mechanism was originally established at the 17th China-ASEAN Summit on November 13, 2014. Then, on March 23, 2016, the Chinese Government announced the establishment of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Special Fund which would provide USD 300 million in concessional loans over 5 years (2016-2021) for small- and medium-sized cooperation projects in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. Since 2021, each country has signed individual MoU's with the Chinese government to continue financing for projects under the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Special Fund. It is unclear if the new MoU's are financed through concessional loans as well. Most projects funded through the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Special Fund (LMCSF) do not contain repayment terms or appear on government agency or company financial statements as borrowings, thus AidData has decided to code post-2021 LMCSF projects as grants.