SEARCA in the News

COVID 19 is foreseen to substantially reduce by a significant 3.11% 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% in gross domestic product (GDP) 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 Food Systems,”… Read more

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 22) – Agriculture Secretary William Dar reported on Thursday that ₱5.4-billion worth of agricultural produce from farmers and fishermen were sold to consumers amid the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. Dar told in the Senate Committee of the Whole hearing on the government's COVID-19 response that among the said figure, ₱2.9 billion came from Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita direct marketing program of the Department of Agriculture. Some ₱2.24 billion worth of produce were bought by local government units nationwide, while the rest of the amount were sold through Kadiwa’s retail selling, Kita on Wheels, Kita… Read more

The following link will take you to INQUIRER.net: COVID-19 slashes SE Asia agri output by 3.11%https://business.inquirer.net/297866/covid-19-slashes-se-asia-agri-output-by-3-11… Read more

The coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic is expected to reduce the volume of agriculture output in Southeast Asia by 3.11 percent, according to the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (Searca). The loss was equivalent to at least 17.03 million metric tons (MT) of agricultural production for the first quarter of 2020 as a result of a decline in farm labor affecting 100.77 million farmers, it said. Searca added that this might result to a $3.76-billion or 1.4-percent loss in gross domestic product for the region. In a policy paper titled “Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic… Read more

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