SEARCA in the News

PRODUCING products from the cashew apple can be a profitable venture, based on discussions during the conference themed "Advancing Cashew Industry through Green Technology" held on November 3 at Dusit Thani Manila. The conference was convened by the Department of Science and Technology (DoST)-Industrial Technology Development Institute that is the culminating activity of the DoST-Ministry of Science and Technology China project titled "Green Oil and Phytochemicals from Cashew." This project seeks the utilization of green technologies to extract oil from cashew for applications in food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products. During the conference, DoST Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. said that the… Read more

A study led by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) is urging government to explore the potential of cashew fruits to boost farmer income. The SEARCA study funded by the Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Agricultural Research, found that cashew apple's flesh is underutilized even though it constitutes 90 percent of the fruit. Farmer focus is only on cashew nuts, especially in Palawan which leads in the production of the crop. The study also highlighted products such as wine, prunes, jelly, jam and salted cashew nuts, as among the different ways of maximizing… Read more

Cambodia hosted the 71st Governing Board Meeting (GBM) of the Philippines-based Southeast Asian Regional Centre for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) in Siem Reap province late last month with H.E. Dr. Touch Visalsok, Secretary of State, Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports (MoEYS), Kingdom of Cambodia, among the Cambodian high officials present at the opening ceremony. Visalsok represented H.E. Dr. Hang Chuon Naron, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the MoEYS, as the guest of honour. According to a press release of SEARCA issued this morning, Visalsok, who is also a SEARCA alumnus, delivered a message highlighting the… Read more

A study funded by the Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR) and conducted by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) uncovered that cashew farmers in Palawan are facing financial difficulties, primarily due to the underutilization of cashew fruit, also known as "cashew apples." This issue has led some farmers in the province to explore other high-value crops, despite Palawan being one of the leading cashew-producing provinces with cashew as its One Town, One Product (OTOP). To address the problem, Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. emphasized the… Read more

Sa kauna-unahang pagkakataon, ang Industrial Technology Development Institute ng Department of Science and Technology (DOST-ITDI) ay nag-host ng Pandaigdigang Kapulungan na may temang "Advancing Cashew Industry through Green Technology" noong 3 Nobyembre 2023 sa Dusit Thani Manila. Sa ginanap na kapulungan sinabi ni Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. na sa pagsasaliksik ng Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture, Bureau of Agricultural Research ng Kagawaran ng Agrikultura, lubhang nahihirapan na ang mga magsasaka ng kasoy dahil sa maliit na kinikita. "Ang pag-aaral ay higit pang nagmumungkahi na ito ay maaaring matugunan… Read more

"Philippine cashew farmers are burdened with a low return on capital for their work. The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture and the Philippine Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Agricultural Research or the DA-BAR partly attribute this to the underutilization of the components of the cashew fruit," said Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. in his message at the conference themed "Advancing Cashew Industry through Green Technology" held last November 3 at Dusit Thani Manila. Convened by the DOST-Industrial Technology Development Institute (ITDI), the conference is a culminating activity of the… Read more

Deadline: November 30, 2023 Applications are open for the 17th SEARCA Photo Contest 2023. The 17th SEARCA Photo Contest with the theme Regenerating agri-ecosystems, lowering "global boiling" seeks images from Southeast Asia, which focus on agricultural technologies and practices that help abate climate change and promote less pressure to natural resources, recycle, or re-use by-products to lessen wastage, and with low carbon footprint. Photo submissions should ideally showcase farmers and farming families, researchers, inventors, and even students and the youth using technologies and practices in the field. The images could be part of agricultural production or experimentation across the broad… Read more

Enter the SEARCA Photo Contest 2023 and capture Southeast Asia's agricultural and environmental essence. Win up to $1,000 in cash prizes while making a positive impact. Learn more about the contest's theme, eligibility, and benefits. Great news for all the passionate photographers in Southeast Asia! The SEARCA Photo Contest 2023 is now open for entries. This contest is organized by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and happens every year. It's all about taking pictures of agriculture, sustainable development, and environmental issues in Southeast Asia. In 2023, the SEARCA Photo Contest has a… Read more

AT least 22 climate-smart agriculture (CSA) educators and practitioners from Cambodia, Indonesia, Germany, Myanmar, the Philippines and Thailand have completed a blended course on climate-smart villages (CSV), immersing themselves in community innovations. Starting with a webinar in September, "Climate-Smart Villages as Platforms for Community-Level Anticipatory Climate Adaptation to Improve Food Security and Resiliency: A Roving Workshop" featured speakers on agriculture, nutrition, food systems and nature-based solutions. The onsite sessions that followed featured learning sites in the provinces of Cavite, Quezon and Laguna, where the participants witnessed firsthand how food systems-sensitive climate change adaptation (CCA) platforms are established, sustained and scaled… Read more

OFFICIALS of the Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA) paid a courtesy visit to the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), also for a briefing with SEARCA officials. The visitors from the Bangladeshi institution on Oct. 23, 2023 were led by Dr. Mirza Mofazzal Islam, BINA director general, and Dr. Shamsun Nahar Begum, BINA chief scientific officer and Plant Breeding Division head, who were also briefed on SEARCA's mandate, programs and services. They were welcomed by a SEARCA delegation led by director Dr. Glenn Gregorio. Joining the meeting with BINA visitors were Associate Prof… Read more