SEARCA in the News

According to a study released by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture, producers of red onions are incurring up to P6 billion (€102 mln) in post-harvest losses due to the lack of cold storage facilities and reliable logistics. The estimated volume of post-harvest losses for red onions reached 48,891 tons, or nearly P1.96 billion, while post-harvest losses for the cold-stored onion chain was at 63.9 percent, with estimated volume and value lost at 69,333 MT and nearly P4.01 billion, respectively. Funded by the Asian Development Bank, the study also revealed that postharvest loss of… Read more

NATIONAL Security students with faculty and academic support staff from the National Defense College of the Philippines (NDCP) recently visited the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and were briefed on food security. Led by Prof. Dr. Alan Lachica, the 17 NDCP students taking up Master in National Security Administration (MNSA) are composed of 11 military officers from the Philippine Army, Navy and Air Force; two military officers from Indonesia and Pakistan; and four civilians from the Philippine government and the private sector. The delegation is part of the 65 MNSA Regular Course No… Read more

The project titled "Leveling Up Philippine Higher Education Institutions in Agriculture, Fisheries and Natural Resources (LevelUPHEI AFAR)," which was funded by the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd), was concluded last March 11. The project was spearheaded by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (Searca). It was a 10-week Online Training Course on Research Designs and Methods for Higher Education Institutions (Research4HEIs) via the Searca Online Learning and Virtual Engagements or Solve platform. There were 18 mid to junior faculty members, researchers and education leaders from 16 State Universities and Colleges-Association of Colleges of Agriculture… Read more

Red onions producers are incurring up to P6 billion in post-harvest losses because of the lack of cold storage facilities and reliable logistics, according to a study released by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture. The estimated volume of post-harvest losses for red onion reached 48,891 metric tons, or nearly P1.96 billion, while post-harvest losses for the cold-stored onion chain was at 63.9 percent, with estimated volume and value lost at 69,333 MT and nearly P4.01 billion, respectively. Based on the study “Analysis of Fruit and Vegetable Value Chains in the Philippines” postharvest losses… Read more

An “Analysis of Fruit and Vegetable Value Chains in the Philippines” funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and conducted by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) revealed the postharvest losses along the value chains of onion, tomato, and mango. The results of the study focused on the three commodities were presented at a recent virtual national policy forum jointly organized by SEARCA and SyCip Gorres Velayo & Company (SGV & Co.). Speaking at the forum, Usec. Evelyn Laviña, Department of Agriculture (DA) Undersecretary for High Value Crops and Rural Credit, said onion, tomato, and… Read more

Some 50 multisector stakeholders from relevant government agencies, private sector, key livestock industry players and the academe participated in the recently conducted online inception workshop for the development of the Philippine Processed Pork Roadmap (PPPR) with a policy roundtable discussion. Spearheaded by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) in partnership with the Department of Agriculture (DA), the workshop is part of the technical assistance to the Philippines of the Agricultural Transformation and Market Integration in the Asean Region: Responding to Food Security and Inclusiveness Concerns (ATMI-Asean) project. Asean stands for Association of Southeast… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) partnered for the conduct of the online Inception Workshop for the Development of the Philippine Processed Pork Roadmap cum Policy Roundtable Discussion on February 16, 2022. The workshop is part of the technical assistance to the Philippines of the “Agricultural Transformation and Market Integration in the ASEAN Region: Responding to Food Security and Inclusiveness Concerns (ATMI-ASEAN)” funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and implemented by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and SEARCA. The workshop was facilitated by the… Read more

Twenty-three members of the State Universities and Colleges-Association of Colleges of Agriculture in the Philippines Inc. (SUC-ACAP) are recipients of a 10-week Online Training on Research Designs and Methods for Higher Education Institutions in the Philippines (Research4HEIs). Implemented by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (Searca), the training will run until March 11. The training is being conducted under the auspices of a Searca-Commission on Higher Education (CHED) project called “Leveling-Up Philippine Higher Education Institutions in Agriculture, Fisheries, and Natural Resources (LevelUPHEI Afar).” Searca Director Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio said the Searca-CHED partnership is… Read more

To help higher education institutions (HEIs) level up in their courses in agriculture, fisheries and natural resources, 23 members of the State Universities and Colleges-Association of Colleges of Agriculture in the Philippines Inc. are undergoing online training that will run until March 11, 2022. This 10-week Online Training on Research Designs and Methods for Higher Education Institutions in the Philippines is being implemented by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (Searca) in collaboration with the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB). An intergovernmental treaty organization, Searca is hosted by the Philippine government with… Read more

A LEARNING event led by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and the Center of Excellence on Sustainable Agricultural Intensification and Nutrition (CE-SAIN) highlighted the establishment of school-plus-home gardens wherein sources of income and livelihood may come in. The event was the seventh session of the e-training titled, "Trainers' Training for Integrating the School-plus-Home Gardens cum Biodiversity Enhancement Enterprise" (SHGBEE) in Agricultural Technology Parks (ATPs) and Mini-ATPs in Cambodia earlier this month via Zoom. According to SEARCA, the event was a collaborative undertaking by SEARCA and CE-SAIN in partnership with the Kansas State… Read more