Regional Data Exchange System
RDES (the Regional Data Exchange System on Food and Agricultural Statistics in Asia and Pasific countries) is a unitary statistical information system which include the function of Database on Food and Agricultural Statistics and the Web Portal of APCAS (Asia and Pacific Commission for Agricultural Statistics) Countries under the FAO/Japan cooperative regional project (GCP/RAS/184/JPN). RDES has been operational since March 2003.
Database
RDES was designed to contribute for the national capacity building and policy analysis through the development of the food and agricultural statistical framework in APCAS countries, especially it is expected to role-play the database on food and agricultural statistics for users, such as policy-makers, decision-makers, researchers, etc.
Time scale
The calendar year is recommended to apply for data of the RDES, due to the difference of the crop year in each country.
Definitions
Definitions of the data of the RDES is recommended to be FAO definitions. And the unit of the crop production data are production (metric ton; MT), area harvested (hectare; ha) and yield (kg per hectare; kg/ha).
Data item
Most data of the RDES are crop production and livestock data. Although it depends on the background of food life in each country, it is registered the major 19 agricultural products in this region as the basic data items, such as Rice Paddy, Wheat, Maze, Cereals, Cassava, Potatoes, Pulses, Groundnuts, Soybean, Seed cotton, Sugar cane, Tea, Cattle, Pig, Sheep, Goat, Chicken, Milk total and Hen eggs.
While other data for food security are required by users, such as other crops and livestock, land area, population, prices, fisheries, etc. are providing by each countries on the basis of its situation.
The database functions of RDES has been strengthning with the CountrySTAT technology. RDES with CountrySTAT was launched on 1 November 2007.
Web Portal
RDES is the Gateway to Agricultural Statistics in APCAS countries. There are 21 web pages as the Country page, which contain not only Agricultural Statistics but also show the Country Profile, Contact address and hyperlinks for statistics in each country.
RDES also show the external hyperlinks to related databases/organizations/associations for Agricultural Statistics and Food Security Information on the top page of website, such as the FAOSTAT, UNSTAT, WFP, etc.
Related Countries
RDES is organizing in cooperation with APCAS member countries, namely - Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Iran, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Viet Nam (hereinbefore are the participating countries of the Project), Australia, Japan (Donor), Malaysia, Republic of Korea and United States of America (other APCAS countries).