SEARCA News

In a move to transform rural agriculture, a startup venture in Myanmar has launched the country's first crowd-farming platform, MyFarmer App. The initiative was funded by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) Grants for Research towards Agricultural Innovative Solutions (GRAINS). The platform directly connects individual investors, known as digital farmers, with local smallholder farmers who need capital for the planting season. The aim is to improve agricultural productivity, strengthen rural economies, and promote support for sustainable farming practices. "This project aims to serve as a proof of concept for scaling up the initiative… Read more

TAIPEI, Taiwan – Mr. Moh Hari Rusli, a joint scholar of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and National Taiwan University (NTU), won the 3-minute thesis competition at the 11th Asian Crop Science Association Conference held in Sheraton Grand Taipei Hotel, Taipei City, Taiwan on 19-21 May 2025. The event brought together scientists, researchers, and students from across Asia under the theme "Toward Net-Zero Production, Food Security, and Sustainability," advancing crop science in the face of global challenges and spotlighting the cutting-edge research, particularly in low-carbon sustainability. The conference featured three thematic days… Read more

MALANG, Indonesia – Universitas Brawijaya (UB) will host the 10th University Consortium (UC) Graduate Forum on 2–3 June 2025 with the theme "Innovative Agriculture and Green Technologies for a Resilient Future." The forum will highlight research and innovation addressing some of the region's most pressing agricultural and environmental challenges. Organized in collaboration with the Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC) and coordinated by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) as the UC Secretariat, the event will bring together 25 graduate students from 12 UC member universities… Read more

SERDANG, Malaysia – Dr. Ronel Reproto, Dean, College of Agriculture and Fisheries, Capiz State University (CapSU) in the Philippines, recently completed his mobility program at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) under the SEARCA Faculty Mobility Grant. This marks a significant step forward in regional collaboration and academic exchange in dairy research. The mobility, held from 21 April 2025 to 15 May 2025, provided Dr. Reproto with hands-on exposure through a visit to Farm Fresh @ UPM. He looked at the farm's sustainable dairy operations practices, herd management strategies, and innovative technologies to improve the dairy productivity and environmental sustainability. Dr. Reproto… Read more

PHONM PENH, Cambodia –The Royal University of Agriculture (RUA) hosted the Training in Quality Assurance for Respiratory Headbox Users in the Southeast Asian Region on 6-8 May 2025. Co-organized by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and the New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Center (NZAGRC), the learning event brought together greenhouse gas (GHG) research experts and early-career practitioners to co-develop a standard operation procedure (SOP) for headbox respiration systems used in livestock methane research in Southeast Asia. The training is part of the New Zealand ASEAN Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) Initiative, which… Read more

Officials from the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) visited the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) on 6 May 2025 to seek support for its institutional development. The delegation included Dr. Virgilio Julius Manzano, Jr., University President; Dr. Dionisio Bucao, Director for Innovation and Technology; Prof. Jeanette Dials, Director for Internationalization, Linkages, and Partnership; and Dr. Peter James Gann, Chief of the Center for Cellular and Molecular Medical Research. They were welcomed by Dr. Mercedita Sombilla, SEARCA Center Director. With her were Dr. Nur Azura binti Adam, Deputy Director for Programs; Dr. Maria Cristeta… Read more

BALI, Indonesia – Leadership, communication, and transformational change anchored Module 4 of the ASEAN Climate Leadership Programme (ACLP) III, an intensive hybrid event held on 23-24 April 2025 that underscored experiential learning by blending on-site activities in Bali with virtual participation. This hybrid format is a first for ACLP since it began in 2020. Module 4 covered personal leadership, stages of the Theory U and how it relates to the participants' personal change project, and introduction to the principles of risk communication. In Bali, participants visited Sustainability & Resilience Co. (su-re.co) and the Jiwa Community Garden where they engaged with… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) continues to sow seeds of inspiration among young students through its Youth in Agri Talk Show, which aired its third episode titled "Growing the Future: The Power of School and Home Gardens," on 30 March 2025 at 7:00 p.m. (GMT +8:00) on SEARCA's Facebook page. Garnering 385,000 views within its first month of airing—three times more than the views of the previous episode —the episode highlighted the transformative role of gardening in youth development. It featured the Philippine Department Education's (DepEd) Gulayan sa Paaralan Program (GPP), which… Read more

Eighty-three students from New Era University College of Communication, accompanied by their instructors, visited the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) on 25 April 2025 to learn about the important role of communication in the field of agriculture. They were welcomed by Dr. Nur Azura binti Adam, SEARCA Deputy Director for Programs, and key Partnerships Unit staff. During the visit, Ms. Zara Mae Estareja, Senior Associate for Public Relations, briefed the students on the Center's core programs. She discussed the challenges encountered in agricultural communication, such as simplifying complex research findings for general audiences… Read more

NUEVA ECIJA, Philippines – The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) led the second stakeholder engagement workshop on Transforming Rice Farming through Low-Carbon Solutions on 23 April 2025 in Santa Rosa, Nueva Ecija. The workshop was conducted in partnership with Leads Agricultural Products Corporation (Leads), Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), and the Municipal Government of Santa Rosa, Nueva Ecija. The workshop convened over 100 stakeholders from across the rice value chain Participants included rice farmer groups and associations, irrigators' association, and key officials and staff from the Municipal Agricultural Office and local government unit… Read more