SEARCA in the News

Local government units (LGUs) are in a strategic position to perform the role of catalyst in promoting urban agriculture. This was asserted by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (Searca) in its policy paper on policy imperatives to promote urban agriculture among LGUs. The policy paper was co-authored by Rico Ancog of the University of the Philippines Los Baños; Searca Director Glenn Gregorio; Sta. Rosa City Rep. Arlene Arcillas; Erlinda Creencia of the Santa Rosa City government, Victorino Aquitania of the Council for Local Environmental Initiatives-Local Governments for Sustainability-Southeast Asia; Department of Agriculture-Bureau of… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) is pushing for clustering of small farms to help ASEAN farmers overcome low and inconsistent-quality yield, scattered production, high transaction costs, and poor access to markets. In a policy paper, SEARCA recommended agricultural clusters as a strategic approach “to operationalize the appropriate channels at a scale necessary for it to have enhanced competitive strength to connect with national and international markets.” Co-authors of the paper pointed out that an agricultural cluster is effective when there is a strong market connection and value-adding networks as a result of… Read more

Los Banos, Laguna­—The Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Plant Industry and the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture here have formalized their partnership in establishing gardens under the DA-BPI Urban Agriculture Program. This was contained in an agreement signed on June 22 at the DA main office in Quezon City, with signatories Agriculture Secretary William Dar and SEARCA Director Glenn Gregorio. The DA-BPI is leading the implementation of the Urban Agriculture Program “as one of the modalities that renders safe food available, accessible, and affordable while providing additional income to households and communities in urban areas.”… Read more

To intensify the promotion of its Urban Agriculture Program, the Department of Agriculture (DA) through the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) forged partnership with the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and the Southern Agro Export Corporation (SAGREX) on June 22, 2020. Agriculture Secretary William Dar, together with SEARCA Director Glenn Gregorio and SAGREX Vice President for Sales and Marketing Anthony Gerald Maranon, led the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement. “We should bring in partners from the private sector in promoting and pursuing the Urban Agriculture Program so that we can make a… Read more

The Los Baños-based Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Plant Industry (DA-BPI) have formalized their partnership in establishing gardens under the DA-BPI Urban Agriculture Program in an agreement signed on 22 June 2020 at the DA Main Office in Quezon City. Signatories to the memorandum of agreement are Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar and SEARCA Director Glenn B. Gregorio. The DA-BPI is leading the implementation of the Urban Agriculture Program “as one of the modalities that renders safe food available, accessible, and affordable while providing additional income to… Read more

CALAMBA CITY, Laguna, June 22 (PIA) --The Integrated Urban Agriculture Act (HB 3412) has been approved by the House Committee on Agriculture last June 17. HB 3412 seeks to promote an integrated urban agriculture to address food security problems affecting the country, which were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill’s author, Negros Occidental Rep. Jose Francisco Benitez, said HB 3412 intends to address the serious food security problem by introducing “game-changing solutions” that include “maximizing available spaces and utilizing emerging agricultural technologies and methods.” “Local government units (LGUs) are in a strategic position to perform a catalytic role in… Read more

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna: A report on organic and inorganic farming, which have been on the opposite ends of a polarizing issue in agriculture, has been published by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA). Searca Director Glenn Gregorio said the report bared the science and practice of organic and conventional agriculture and ways the two farming approaches might be integrated to achieve food security. He said these were discussed by scientists and practitioners during a forum convened by the Coalition for Agriculture Modernization in the Philippines Inc. (Camp), in partnership with Searca, the Philippine Council… Read more

Los Baños, Laguna—A published report by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture dealt on organic and inorganic farming which have been on the opposite ends of a polarizing issue in agriculture. Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio, Searca director, said the report bares the science and practice of organic and conventional agriculture and ways the two farming approaches might be integrated to achieve food security. These were discussed by scientists and practitioners during a forum convened by the Coalition for Agriculture Modernization in the Philippines, Inc. in partnership with Searca, the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic… Read more

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is pushing for ‘no cluster, no assistance’ policy in the agriculture sector to force farmers to consolidate into cooperatives and associations, which will make it easier for the government to distribute farm assistance. In a statement, Agriculture Secretary William Dar said the agency will “enhance what we have started under our National Corn Program (NCP)”, which recommended “no cluster, no assistance” policy in terms of production, post-harvest, processing, and marketing assistance. “We will offer clustered and consolidated farms with incentives on top of the regular technical and marketing assistance under our major commodity programs. Incentives… Read more

SOME Mindanao farmers have raised their income by 47 percent after having been aided by an agricultural clustering project of the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), a think tank said. This was reported by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (Searca) in a study authored by Glenn Gregorio and six researchers. He said the Mindanao model has proved to be a success model of the “more profitable” agricultural clustering, which focused on organizing farmers to become somehow “big.” “Small is beautiful. But big is powerful,” said Gregorio. After getting organized, Mindanao farmers… Read more