SEARCA in the News

THE agriculture sector of the Philippines and Southeast Asia is seen having better prospects for 2021 despite the disruption of agricultural production by several catastrophes and the pandemic that slowed down the pace by which the sector plays as an engine for economic development in Southeast Asia. In his 2020 year-end message, Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) Director Glenn Gregorio noted that while the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic crippled most of the key economic sectors in the Philippines, the agriculture sector was able to maintain positive growth in 2020. “It must be… Read more

The pandemic notwithstanding, agriculture was robust last year and will remain so. The fearless forecast comes from the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) in Los Baños. 2020 saw agricultural production disrupted by a number of catastrophes that slowed down the pace by which it plays as an engine for economic development in Southeast Asia. In the Philippines, while the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic crippled most of its key economic sectors, agriculture was able to maintain a positive growth, said Dr. Glenn Gregorio, SEARCA director. “It must be acknowledged that there were earlier production growth targets that may not have been achieved. Being able… Read more

The country’s rice inventory went up in November last year  as volume of the main staple was boosted by the main harvest season. Latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that total rice inventory stood at 3.16 million metric tons (MT) as of November, up 6.6 percent from the previous year’s volume of 2.96 million MT. The current inventory is also 19 percent higher than the  previous month’s volume stock of 2.65 million MT.   Based on the average daily consumption of Filipinos of 32,000 MT, the current inventory is sufficient for 99 days. Households had more than… Read more

After an “unexpectedly challenging year” for the Philippine agriculture sector, the Department of Agriculture (DA) must find a way to execute concrete actions that are “wiser, effective, efficient, and sustainable,” said a top official of an international think tank “The year 2021 must be a year where previous justifications are to be rendered as no longer acceptable. Instead, the touted ‘new normal’ clearly means concrete actions that are wiser, effective, efficient, and sustainable,” said Glenn B. Gregorio, Director of Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA). Gregorio was referring to the Philippines’ agriculture sector, which… Read more

Despite the persistence of COVID-19 pandemic and with impacts of recent typhoons to spill over until the first half of 2021, the agriculture sector is still expected to grow 2.5 percent next year. Likewise, the Department of Agriculture (DA) has not yet totally given up on a growth performance of less than 1 percent for the farm sector for 2020 even if it has been considered the “most challenging year for the Philippine agriculture sector.” “We expect a modest growth of 1 percent in 2020. For 2021, we target to attain a conservative 2.5 percent growth,” Agriculture Secretary William Dar… Read more

PROSPECTS for growth in agriculture remain tenuous due tc the ongoing impact of the pandemic, with natural disasters holding the potential to inflict setbacks, and the worst-case scenario estimated in the negative single-digit range, a professor at Pampanga State Agricultural University said.  Roy S. Kempis said in an e-mail interview the calamities can "easily" wipe out any progress made in growing agricultural output in 2021.  "My conservative estimate for the value of production of the sector in 2021 ranges from minus 0.70% to growth of 1%,' Mr. Kempis said, adding that his pessimistic scenario is between a contraction of 1%… Read more

The Philippines’ agriculture sector has survived a volcano eruption that blanketed tons of farm yield with ashes and sustained production within three quarters into the pandemic, but it only took three typhoons to expose its vulnerability. And Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) National Manager Raul Montemayor has one piece of advice to the government, which is to focus on helping farmers and fishermen recover. “We need to help the farmers first,” Montemayor said in a text exchange, referring to the damage that the recent typhoons, especially Rolly and Ulysses, caused in the lives of poor agriculture stakeholders. The government estimates… Read more

Three state universities have recently partnered with the Philippine government-hosted Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (Searca). Tarlac Agricultural University (TAU) and Laguna State Polytechnic University (LSPU) have inked pacts with Searca to work together on areas of mutual interest such as education, research and training, a Searca news release said. For its part, the Batangas State University (BatStateU) also agreed to work with Los Baños, Laguna, -based Searca in the same areas, with special focus on innovative agricultural technologies, agribusiness incubation and technology transfer, the news release added. Signatories to the five-year memoranda of… Read more

CROP biotechnology has reduced pesticide use associated with environmental impact and has been proven to be beneficial for agricultural biodiversity, according to a United Kingdom-based agricultural economist and scientists from the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) during a recent online technical forum. In a recent online technical forum titled “Greener Greens: Environmental Impact of Biotech Crops” which was convened by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (Searca), Graham Brookes, an agricultural economist at the UK-based PG Economics Ltd., presented the cumulative impact of using genetically modified (GM) crop technology in agriculture from… Read more

THE Tarlac Agricultural University (TAU), Laguna State Polytechnic University (LSPU) and Batangas State University (BatStateU) have partnered with the Philippine government-hosted, Los Baños-based Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (Searca) to revitalize the agriculture sector in the country. TAU and LSPU have formalized ties with Searca on areas of mutual interest such as education, research and training while BatStateU also agreed to cooperate in the same areas with special focus on innovative agricultural technologies, agribusiness incubation and technology transfer. Under the partnership, a five-year memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by Searca Director Dr. Glenn… Read more