SEARCA in the News

"Philippine cashew farmers are burdened with a low return on capital for their work. The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture and the Philippine Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Agricultural Research or the DA-BAR partly attribute this to the underutilization of the components of the cashew fruit," said Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. in his message at the conference themed "Advancing Cashew Industry through Green Technology" held last November 3 at Dusit Thani Manila. Convened by the DOST-Industrial Technology Development Institute (ITDI), the conference is a culminating activity of the… Read more

Deadline: November 30, 2023 Applications are open for the 17th SEARCA Photo Contest 2023. The 17th SEARCA Photo Contest with the theme Regenerating agri-ecosystems, lowering "global boiling" seeks images from Southeast Asia, which focus on agricultural technologies and practices that help abate climate change and promote less pressure to natural resources, recycle, or re-use by-products to lessen wastage, and with low carbon footprint. Photo submissions should ideally showcase farmers and farming families, researchers, inventors, and even students and the youth using technologies and practices in the field. The images could be part of agricultural production or experimentation across the broad… Read more

Enter the SEARCA Photo Contest 2023 and capture Southeast Asia's agricultural and environmental essence. Win up to $1,000 in cash prizes while making a positive impact. Learn more about the contest's theme, eligibility, and benefits. Great news for all the passionate photographers in Southeast Asia! The SEARCA Photo Contest 2023 is now open for entries. This contest is organized by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and happens every year. It's all about taking pictures of agriculture, sustainable development, and environmental issues in Southeast Asia. In 2023, the SEARCA Photo Contest has a… Read more

AT least 22 climate-smart agriculture (CSA) educators and practitioners from Cambodia, Indonesia, Germany, Myanmar, the Philippines and Thailand have completed a blended course on climate-smart villages (CSV), immersing themselves in community innovations. Starting with a webinar in September, "Climate-Smart Villages as Platforms for Community-Level Anticipatory Climate Adaptation to Improve Food Security and Resiliency: A Roving Workshop" featured speakers on agriculture, nutrition, food systems and nature-based solutions. The onsite sessions that followed featured learning sites in the provinces of Cavite, Quezon and Laguna, where the participants witnessed firsthand how food systems-sensitive climate change adaptation (CCA) platforms are established, sustained and scaled… Read more

OFFICIALS of the Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA) paid a courtesy visit to the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), also for a briefing with SEARCA officials. The visitors from the Bangladeshi institution on Oct. 23, 2023 were led by Dr. Mirza Mofazzal Islam, BINA director general, and Dr. Shamsun Nahar Begum, BINA chief scientific officer and Plant Breeding Division head, who were also briefed on SEARCA's mandate, programs and services. They were welcomed by a SEARCA delegation led by director Dr. Glenn Gregorio. Joining the meeting with BINA visitors were Associate Prof… Read more

THE Central Luzon State University (CLSU), in partnership with the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), conducted a training workshop on VEX Robotics to play a pivotal role in advancing agricultural engineering toward smart farming. CLSU Strategic Communication Office (SCO) said trainers from Hytec Power Inc. (HPI) showcased their latest innovation of Vex Robotics bundles during the two-day training workshop on Oct. 23 and 24, 2023, in collaboration with CLSU Precision and Digital Agriculture Center or PreDiCt. The CLSU-SCO said HPI also guided the participants during the hands-on training, where they experienced building robots… Read more

CARBONFARM is eyeing possible collaboration with the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) on innovative and profitable climate solutions for agriculture. SEARCA Director Glenn Gregorio said CarbonFarm is a French climate-tech startup established in 2022 that harnesses satellite imagery and artificial intelligence (AI) to monitor and certify decarbonization projects. CarbonFarm Chief Executive Officer Vassily Carantino and James Hastwell, chief technology officer, visited SEARCA on Oct. 26, 2023. Both have worked with academic and research institutions such as Cornell University, the European Space Agency, AgroParisTech and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). Also with them… Read more

DELEGATES from the Kasetsart University (KU) in Thailand visited the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) in Los Baños, Laguna, to explore scholarships, grants and capacity-building opportunities for their faculty and students. The KU Kamphaeng Saen Campus-Department of Human and Community Resource Development (HCRD) Faculty of Education and Development Sciences delegation was led by Asst. Prof. Dr. Varaporn Yamtim, deputy dean for Research and Academic Service, on Oct. 19, 2023. Faculty members joining Yamtim were Dr. Issaree Supnui, Dr. Supharuk Aticomsuwan, Dr. Sunti Srisuantang and Orawan Boontu. SEARCA director Dr. Glenn Gregorio said the… Read more

REPRESENTATIVES from a pioneer on agronomy-based risk assessment approach visited the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) "to foster green financial solutions and digital innovations." The delegation from AgriG8 visited the SEARCA headquarters in Los Banos, Laguna, on October 20 and was led by its chief executive officer, David Chen, and Joshua Tan, chief operating officer. Vanessa Teo, AgriG8 chief technology officer, and Qian Yu Ho, project manager, also formed part of the delegation. SEARCA Director Glenn Gregorio said AgriG8 was a participant of the roundtable discussion series on Sustainable Food and Agriculture Systems… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) has partnered with United Laboratories Inc. (Unilab), a leading pharmaceutical company in the Philippines, to provide health and financial literacy seminars to farmers in Los Baños, Laguna. Dr. Glenn Gregorio, the director of SEARCA, emphasized the importance of educating and inspiring farmers to make informed decisions in their financial endeavors, marketing strategies, and daily dietary habits. Associate Prof. Joselito Florendo, SEARCA's deputy director for administration, also highlighted the need to equip farmers with knowledge and resources to enhance their productivity and livelihood. On October 16, 2023, SEARCA… Read more