SEARCA in the News

A “perfect storm” – comprised of a series of typhoons, COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, the persistence of African Swine Fever (ASF), among other unfortunate scenarios – has challenged the agriculture sector in 2020, bringing down the total full-year output at -1.2 percent. Released yesterday, the latest Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data showed the country’s farm output went down by 1.2 percent in 2020, from a growth of 0.7 percent in 2019, after crops, livestock, poultry, and fisheries all recorded lower production.  In the fourth quarter alone, output declined by 3.8 percent, which is higher compared to the level of the decline… Read more

Young innovators from the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) and Nueva Vizcaya State University (NVSU) will compete with fellow finalists from the Visayas and Mindanao for the grand prize of P200,000 after besting nine other teams at the Luzon Demo Day of the Innovation Olympics 2.0 (IO2) held online last year. Each finalist will receive P100,000 for the implementation of their projects. Launched in October 2020, this second edition of the Innovation Olympics is a nationwide search for innovative solutions in precision agriculture for small-scale vegetable farming developed by young Filipinos. The AIM team developed Farm Journal Using Analytics and… Read more

THE agriculture sector’s growth likely slowed in the fourth quarter, after a string of strong typhoons devastated rice-producing areas. Glenn B. Gregorio, director of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), said the agriculture sector will post 0.58% growth in the fourth quarter, slower than the 0.7% growth in the third quarter. However, this will be a slight improvement from the 0.1% drop in farm output in the fourth quarter of 2019. Mr. Gregorio said the crops subsector is seen to grow by 3.66%, while the fisheries subsector is estimated to rise by 1.69%. “However… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture is seeking applications for its Travel Grants Program. Grant Objectives To provide opportunities to qualified Southeast Asian nationals to participate and present papers in ISARD-relevant scientific conferences and fora, locally or internationally; To promote the dissemination of scientific knowledge/information vital to agriculture and rural development; To provide the Grantee a venue to discuss with other scientists, researchers, university faculty and scholars, developments in their respective disciplines; To facilitate linkaging, partnerships and active collaboration between SEARCA, or the applicant’s home institution, with other development organizations and donors; To produce… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and the Provincial Government of Quezon (PG Quezon) have committed to develop a project on the coconut industry growth areas in Quezon province through formal agreements signed last January 18. “SEARCA’s priority is to extend its expertise to its neighboring communities in Region IV-A,” SEARCA Director Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio stressed.  He said that this partnership between SEARCA and PG Quezon is an expansion of an alliance that was started in 1985, with a parallel objective of linking the farmers to modern networks and innovative markets. To… Read more

Student teams from the Asian Institute of Management and Nueva Vizcaya State University emerged as finalists during the Luzon Demo Day of the Innovation Olympics 2.0 held online on December 19, 2020. Each finalist will receive PHP 100,000 seed money to be used in implementing their projects, and they will advance to the next round of the agri-hackathon for a chance to win PHP 200,000 in cash. Team Farm Journal Using Analytics and Networks (FarmJUAN) is composed of Earwin Belen, Carlo Tansuk, Kit Sumabat, Arvi Ubaldo, who are all students of the Asian Institute of Management taking up Master of… Read more

January 22, 2021- The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and the Provincial Government of Quezon (PG Quezon) have committed to develop a project on the coconut industry growth areas in Quezon Province through formal agreements signed last January 18. “SEARCA is keen to help PG Quezon realize its vision of a market-driven coconut industry with empowered and resilient farmers, engaging in profitable coconut-based enterprises, contributing to inclusive and sustainable agricultural development,” SEARCA Director Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio stressed. He added that this partnership between SEARCA and PG Quezon is an expansion of an… Read more

January 21, 2021- Young innovators from the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) and Nueva Vizcaya State University (NVSU) beat online last December 19, 2020 nine other teams at the Luzon Demo Day of the Innovation Olympics 2.0.The AIM and NVSU teams will compete with fellow finalists from the Visayas Region and Mindanao Region for the grand prize of PHP 200,000. Each finalist will receive P100,000 for the implementation of their projects.Dr. Glenn B.Gregorio, Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) Director, and Dr. Rico C. Ancog, SEARCA program lead for Emerging Innovation for Growth as well as… Read more

Asian Institute of Management (AIM) and Nueva Vizcaya State University (NVSU) are in the finals of the Innovation Olympics 2.0 after besting nine other teams for the right to represent Luzon in the competition that challenges the next generation​ of agriculture, business, and technology young Filipino leaders ​to develop innovative solutions to​ real-life challenges of small-holder vegetable farmers. Farm Journal Using Analytics and Networks (FarmJuan) is a digital agriculture system enabler that provides actionable insights for farmers that can help increase yield and profit, monitor farm inputs and minimize their production costs. It was developed by Earwin Belen, Carlo Tansuk… Read more

Grants for research on transformation through agricultural innovation in Southeast Asia are available to Filipinos and from Southeast Asian countries of Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Timor-Leste and Vietnam. The research grants are focused on food security during the Covid-19 pandemic and its economic and social impacts. The grants are under the auspices of a Mentorship Program for Advanced Grants jointly funded by the International Foundation for Science (IFS) and the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA). This is the first activity under the agreement recently signed by IFS and SEARCA, a SEARCA news release… Read more