Jakarta, June 24 -- Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today received the Director- General of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Dr. Yvonne Pinto, at the ASEAN Headquarters/ASEAN Secretariat. SG Dr. Kao appreciated IRRI's 65-year legacy of supporting regional food security and discussed the continued support for the implementation of the Food, Agriculture, and Forestry (FAF) Sectoral Plan 2026-2030. He welcomed IRRI's new initiative, International Rice Digital Genebank, emphasizing that advanced scientific research must translate into practical, weather-resistant seeds for everyday smallholders. SG Dr. Kao also stressed the importance of data equity to ensure all member states can access these digital tools, wh...