SEARCA in the News

COVID 19 is foreseen to substantially reduce by a significant 3.11 percent the volume of agriculture output in Southeast Asia (at 17.03 million metric tons or MT) for the first quarter of 2020 as a result of a decrease in farm labor affecting 100.77 million farmers. This loss is equivalent to $3.76 billion or 1.4 percent in gross domestic product for the Southeast Asian region, according to the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA). In a policy paper, “Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Agriculture Production in Southeast Asia: Reinforcing Transformative Change in Agricultural… Read more

Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) said there is a need for the Philippine government to “rethink” agriculture interventions as COVID-19 continues to reduce the number of farmers as well as their income. “Due to lockdown, mobility restrictions result to quantity reduction in farm labor. If it continues longer, this would translate to reduction in agriculture productivity,” said SEARCA Director Glenn B. Gregorio. “The loss of income and economic slowdown would also result in decrease in demand, particularly among the farmers and farming families with no safety nets,” he added. Onto the second month… Read more

A local scientist recently urged the government to “rethink” its interventions in agriculture as the Covid-19 lockdown has further cut a number of farmers of their income—resulting in depressed demand for goods, food insecurity, and declining gross domestic product (GDP). “Due to lockdown, mobility restrictions result in quantity reduction in farm labor.  If it continues longer, this would translate to reduction in agriculture productivity,” Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio, director of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (Searca) said in a news statement. Going on third month of the lockdown, Gregorio pointed out that a… Read more

The government should “rethink” its interventions in the country’s agriculture sector as the lockdown caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) further reduced the number of farmers nationwide and their income, according to the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (Searca). During the Searca Online Learning and Virtual Engagements (SOLVE) webinar on food security, Searca Director Glenn Gregorio said there has been a 2.97-percent reduction in the country’s agricultural production into the second month of the lockdown, mainly due to a decrease in the number of farmers tilling the land. “Due to lockdown, mobility restrictions… Read more

MANILA, Philippines — Many Filipinos are practicing backyard gardening and now have a better appreciation and increased interest in growing their own food during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), Sen. Cynthia Villar said yesterday. “I am glad that more people are now seeing the benefits of planting vegetables in their own backyard. And I hope the growing interest will continue even after the quarantine is lifted,” said Villar, a proponent of vegetable gardening or backyard farming. Netizens are posting pictures on social media like Facebook and Twitter their gardening during ECQ, she noted. Villar, who chairs the Senate committee on… Read more

A downturn in agricultural production was worsened by farmers’ limited access to farm inputs and markets to sell produce due to mobility restrictions brought about by the coronavirus pandemic. With this, the government needs to “rethink” interventions in the sector as the virus lockdown has further cut the number of farmers and their income, resulting in depressed demand for goods, food insecurity and declining Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This was learned from Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio, director of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), who said the sectors’ problems would further reduce agriculture… Read more

As COVID-19 exposed the sorry state of the country’s agriculture sector, a lot of Filipinos will feel the need to grow their own food within their houses. This is called urban agriculture wherein people resort to home gardening for their steady supply of staple vegetables. Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) Director Glenn B. Gregorio said during a webinar that despite the odds due to the global pandemic, the COVID-19 lockdown has opened opportunities for urban agriculture. “It is unfortunate that COVID-19 has not only raised food price but also threatened nutritional security for… Read more

The following link will take you to INQUIRER.net: DA expands online serviceshttps://business.inquirer.net/296289/da-expands-online-services… Read more

MANILA, Philippines — The government continues to adopt technology to combat the possible threat of food security amid the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 pandemic. The Department of Agriculture will partner with ride-hailing app Grab and other enterprises with an online-driven platform to speed up movement of food and agricultural products from provinces to consumers. Agriculture Secretary William Dar said the DA is beefing up its technology-steering Kadiwa Online and Kadiwa Express. The Kadiwa Express will use cloud and other information systems in tracking goods, including radio frequency identification, that can monitor where goods are located, while in transit or… Read more

he Department of Agriculture (DA) said it will partner with Grab Philippines and other enterprises with online-driven platforms to speed up movement of food and agricultural products from provinces to consumers. DA secretary William Dar made the announcement during webinar on Tuesday, April 28, hosted by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (Searca). The delivery of goods will become available to consumers online through the expanded “Kadiwa Express” initiative, Dar said. The Kadiwa Express will use cloud and other tracking tools — possibly including RFID — that can monitor where goods are located while… Read more