SEARCA in the News

AGRICULTURAL OUTPUT is likely to have improved in the third quarter due to favorable indications from the rice harvest, supported by good weather and the easing of quarantine restrictions, according to the Agriculture department and industry experts. The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) is scheduled to release production indicators for the farm sector today, Nov. 9. Asked to comment ahead of the data release, Department of Agriculture spokesperson Noel O. Reyes said the agriculture sector's performance during the third quarter was positive. In a mobile phone interview, Mr. Reyes based his assessment on a PSA report which estimated the output of… Read more

A more progressive regulation on animal biotechnology may hold the potential to contribute to food security and a more sustainable agriculture, according to an Argentinian expert in regulation and policymaking for biotechnology. "If the Philippines has the opportunity to revise regulations on animal biotechnology, it can provide the capacity to assess if these technologies may be used for food production in the country and contribute to food security and a more sustainable agriculture," Dr. Martin Lema of the University of Quilmes in Argentina said. Lema spoke at the recent SEARCA Online Learning and Virtual Engagement (SOLVE) webinar of the Southeast… Read more

The deadline for young Filipino innovators to register for the Innovation Olympics 2.0, an "agri hackathon" to develop innovative solutions for the farming sector, has been extended until November 17, 2020 because of typhoon Rolly. The Innovation Olympics 2.0 is made possible by the partnership of East-West Seed with the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), Sensient Colors LLC, UPLB, UPLB-TTBDO, UPLB Startup Innovation and Business Opportunity Linkaging Labs (SIBOL Labs), and APEX: The UPLB Business Network. The organizers have also dropped the two-minute elevator pitch from the list of application requirements to make… Read more

THE UNIVERSITY of the Philippines-Los Banos Office of Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs facilitated the repatriation of seven students and their five dependents to Timor-Leste under the Oplan Hatid program. The process was carried out in coordination with the Embassy of Timor-Leste in Manila, the UPLB Office of the Chancellor, and the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture. The students, all SEARCA scholars, and their dependents, were ferried from the UPLB campus aboard a SEARCA vehicle and the university's coaster. The group was sent off by head of International Student Relations of OVCSA Dr. Jea… Read more

MANILA, Philippines — A native variety of garlic is seen raising the country's sufficiency of the commodity and competing with imports, which account for about 90 percent of supply. The Batanes white is expected to boost local garlic production after it yielded a high of 9.3 metric tons for the second cropping in Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte. The Department of Agriculture-Ilocos Region has crafted a revival program to raise garlic sufficiency, as current supply is largely imported. Field tests have shown that native garlic varieties can compete with imported garlic, which has been hitting a yield high of 10 to 15… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture is pushing for technology-based innovations in garlic production, as the Philippines still imports 90 percent of the country's demand for this particular commodity. Right now, the Philippines is still far from being self-sufficient in garlic. In 2018, the country imported more than 10 percent of the country's demand for this agricultural product. China, India, and Hong Kong are the major suppliers of garlic to the Philippines. SEARCA claims that raising Philippines' garlic sufficiency level is possible through a "package of technology", which mainly involves good seeds and fertilization… Read more

LOS BANOS, Laguna, Nov 5 (PIA) – Oriental Mindoro farmer-leaders, processors, and representatives from the private sector and government gained a good grasp of the calamansi processing industry and the opportunities and challenges in a seminar recently conducted by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA). Government agencies represented included the Departments of Agriculture (DA), Science and Technology (DOST), and Trade and Industry (DTI). Held virtually, the seminar focused on calamansi waste utilization and product development opportunities. It aimed to enable the participants to recommend interventions and strategies for potential calamansi products and enterprises… Read more

Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) is pushing for technology-based innovations in garlic production as the Philippines still imports 90 percent of the country's demand for this particular farm commodity. In a study, SEARCA said raising Philippines' garlic sufficiency level is possible through a "package of technology", which mainly involves good seeds and fertilization using gibberelic acid and organic fertilizer. Right now, the Philippines is still far from being self-sufficient in garlic. In 2018, the country imported more than 10 percent of the country's demand for this agricultural product. China, India, and Hong Kong… Read more

The Laguna provincial government has formalized an agreement with the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) to jointly pursue capacity-development activities and exchange knowledge resources, including publications. Laguna Gov. Ramil Hernandez said the partnership with the University of the Philippines Los Baños-based SEARCA is vital to Laguna's growth and development. "We believe that SEARCA has the technical knowledge and skills to address the plight of our community. The provincial government of Laguna is willing to participate," Hernandez said. According to Rep. Ruth Mariano Hernandez of the Second District of Laguna, they are looking forward… Read more

Sources: Philippine Information Agency; Azerbaijan News.Net; Beijing Bulletin; Big News Network; Malaysia Sun; Mumbai News.Net; Myanmar News.Net; Myanmar Sun; Pakistan News.Net; Philippine Times; Southeast Asia News.Net; The Asia News.Net; Vietnam Tribune LOS BAÑOS, Laguna, Nov 5 -- Young innovators are called to join the Innovation Olympics 2.0, an "agri hackathon" for the youth to develop innovative solutions for the farming sector of the country. The deadline for entries is on November 7, 2020. Submission may be done online via https://tinyurl.com/IO2Application. Themed "Precision Agriculture for Small-Scale Vegetable Farming," Innovation Olympics 2.0 is a way for students to share, create, and pilot… Read more