The Philippines has tapped international agricultural think tank Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and its partners for the international benchmarking of the country's livestock, dairy, and poultry industries.
In a statement, SEARCA said it is now implementing the collaborative study for this project with the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) and selected Asian research institutions.
The project, called International Benchmarking Study of the Philippine Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Industries, was co-developed and funded by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).
Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio, SEARCA Director, said the study has been deemed necessary and timely as the Philippine government’s current agricultural initiatives and policies are skewed towards rice and corn.
He said the study aims to determine comparative advantages of the Philippines and other Asian countries in terms of costs, production management, and marketing practices. It will also identify and analyze key enabling policies that would strengthen the livestock, dairy, and poultry subsectors.
The benchmarking study has local and international components. Given its wide network in Asia, SEARCA leads the international component and has partnered with three research institutions, namely: Peking University, China; Kasetsart University, Thailand; and the Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development (IPSARD), Vietnam. The local component of the benchmarking study is led by PIDS.
Gregorio said the results are expected to contribute to the development of national policies in support of the livestock, poultry, and dairy industries.
The study is expected to run until October 2021.