Published March 10, 2021, 6:00 AM
As part of the efforts to boost the Philippines’ agricultural production, the Philippine government should find a way to be able to tap into financial technology (FinTech) in linking farmers with financial services.
“If done well, FinTech could be key to increasing agricultural productivity because of its huge potential for financial inclusion by making financial services and products accessible even to the marginalized farmers and farming families,” Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) Director Glenn B. Gregorio said.
Rico C. Ancog, University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) Associate Professor and UP Scientist III who leads SEARCA’s Emerging Innovation for Growth program, said the use of modern financial technologies will likewise improve cost efficiency across the food supply chain in the country.
LOS BAÑOS, Laguna, Mar 4 The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and Sejong University in Seoul, Korea are jointly offering research scholarships to Filipinos and other Southeast Asians to earn master’s and doctoral degrees.
The Sejong University-SEARCA Joint Graduate Research Scholarship for Southeast Asian Countries is open to Filipinos and nationals of Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam.
SEARCA Director Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio said the aim of the joint scholarship is to strengthen the capacities of Southeast Asian scientists and researchers by enabling them to obtain master’s and doctoral degrees by research in the fields of agricultural biotechnology, aquaculture, food science, and international development.
AgriEX launched in Quezon, Laguna msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
LOS BANOS, Laguna, Feb 24 Finance is a driver of growth in the agriculture sector but improving farmers’ access to financial instruments is also key to their adoption of better farm technologies for greater productivity.
The prospects of financial technology (FinTech) in linking farmers with financial services outside the traditional banking system and improving the value chain are rife. This was explored during a recent online forum on the potential of FinTech in advancing agricultural development in the Philippines jointly organized by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and SyCip Gorres Velayo & Co. (SGV).
Hit by calamities in 2020
A “perfect storm” – comprised of a series of typhoons, COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, the persistence of African Swine Fever (ASF), among other unfortunate scenarios – has challenged the agriculture sector in 2020, bringing down the total full-year output at -1.2 percent.
Released yesterday, the latest Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data showed the country’s farm output went down by 1.2 percent in 2020, from a growth of 0.7 percent in 2019, after crops, livestock, poultry, and fisheries all recorded lower production.
In the fourth quarter alone, output declined by 3.8 percent, which is higher compared to the level of the decline of 0.1 percent in agricultural production during the same period in 2019.