SEARCA in the News

Israeli Embassy officials visited the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) to broach areas of possible collaboration. Deputy Chief of Mission Nir Balzam, who headed the embassy delegation that paid a visit to SEARCA Director Glenn Gregorio, has apprised the center of an internship program of Israel for agriculture students. Balzam said the embassy is thinking of schemes on how to promote the learnings and experiences of returning Filipino interns. He said he believes that agricultural interns are the best bridges to transfer agricultural technologies and innovations for adoption. "We're going to do a… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) has extended its deadline for submission of short videos that feature enterprising youth in a contest themed "Amplifying Voices of Youth Agripreneurs." Dr. Glenn Gregorio, SEARCA director, said the center is looking for short videos that feature enterprising youth who ventured into profitable agribusiness and "we are extending the deadline The contest is open to youth agripreneurs (agriculture entrepreneurs) whose age ranges from 15 to 35. The first prize is $1,000, while the second and third prizes are $700 and $400, respectively. A prize of $200 awaits… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) is looking for short videos that feature enterprising youth who ventured into profitable agribusiness in a contest themed “Amplifying Voices of Youth Agripreneurs.” The deadline of submission is extended until January 15, 2023. The video entries should feature success stories of youth who engaged in agricultural or social entrepreneurship. They can focus on agricultural production as well as on other ventures along the value chain. SEARCA Director Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio said the video entries can be about agribusiness ventures on crop, poultry, and livestock farming as… Read more

“Tugisin ang mga smugglers ng mga agricultural pro­ducts at protektahan ang mga lokal na magsasaka mula sa kompetisyon.” Ito ang apela ni Senador Win Gatchalian sa lahat ng ahensiya ng gobyerno gayung kaliwa’t kanan ang mga nakukumpiskang produktong smuggled, subalit wala pang nahuhuling malaking isda o “big fish” na dapat siyang masawata para mahinto o mabawasan ang iligal na pag-aangkat ng mga produkto. Magugunita na nagsagawa ng mga pagdinig ang Senate committee of the Whole kaugnay sa isyu noong Hunyo, 2022 at lumabas sa ulat ang sinasabing pagkakasangkot ng ilang indibidwal sa malakihang pagpupuslit ng produktong pang-agrikultura. Base sa datos… Read more

Senator Win Gatchalian has called on all agencies concerned to go after smugglers of agricultural commodities and protect local farmers from unwarranted competition. “Kaliwa’t kanan ang mga nakukumpiskang produktong smuggled pero wala pang nahuhuling malaking isda. Dapat masawata ang mismong mga 'big fish' upang mahinto o mabawasan na ang iligal na pag-aangkat ng mga produkto (Smuggled products are being confiscated left and right but no big fish has been caught yet. The 'big fish' themselves must be harmed in order to stop or reduce the illegal importation of products),” Gatchalian said. The Senate Committee of the Whole even released a… Read more

At least 14 Philippine higher education institutions (HEI) represented by 21 administrators and senior and junior faculty members joined a cross-visit to Kasetsart University (KU), a leading research university in Thailand, in early December 2022. The Cross-Visits to Higher Education Institutions in Seameo Member Countries-Thailand is one of the components of the Philippine Commission on Higher Education (CHEd)-funded project on Leveling-Up Philippine Higher Education Institutions in Agriculture, Fisheries, and Natural Resources (LevelUPHEI AFAR) implemented by Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA). Seameo stands for Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization, a regional intergovernmental organization… Read more

An international refereed journal published by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), the Asian Journal of Agriculture and Development (AJAD), published the latest papers that paints a grim reality of a possible global food crisis. SEARCA Director Glenn Gregorio said the latest papers delved into food crisis threats that may be brought about by the Ukraine war, climate shocks experienced by major food granaries, the Covid-19 pandemic and a variety of country-specific hurdles in agriculture and development in Asia. However, Gregorio noted that "equally important with these debacles are tested responses offered by… Read more

With the theme "Future Proofing Agriculture," the Central Luzon State University (CLSU) conducted a forum that gathered scholars to discuss strategies to ensure agricultural productivity in a future world that is full of uncertainties and confronted with environmental and social problems. The event held earlier this month was the 4th University Consortium (UC) Faculty Forum participated by more than 40 US officials, faculty members and guests at the Science City of Muñoz in Nueva Ecija. According to the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), the 4th UC Faculty Forum was the first major event… Read more

THE Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) in partnership with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) recently launched a pioneering program on Transformational Agricultural Innovation Systems for the New Future (TrAInS) to provide innovative solutions to the rising challenges in agriculture and the environment. According to SEARCA Director Glenn Gregorio, there are 30 participants from various Southeast Asian (SEA) higher education institutions, government ministries and agencies, non-government and farmers' organizations, and private and civil society organizations who are actively involved in research and extension activities. TrAInS is a nine-week online training workshop… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture-Agri-Innovator Program (SEARCA-AIP), a short-term training program, is advocating for a human-centered approach combining "design thinking" as a mindset and "lean startup" as a methodology for developing agricultural innovations. According to Dr. Glenn Gregorio, SEARCA director, this program contributes to responding to an era of change when the vulnerabilities, uncertainties, complexities and ambiguities of a fast-evolving environment dictate the way agricultural challenges are appraised and addressed for agri-ventures and their innovations flourish in Agriculture 4.0. Gregorio noted that SEARCA-AIP, which will feature weekly sessions, was formally launched on Nov… Read more