An international benchmarking study of the Philippine livestock, dairy and poultry industries co-developed and funded by the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) is currently undertaken by an inter-government treaty organization based at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) in Laguna province.
According to the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (Searca), the undertaking aimed to help boost and reboot the Philippine livestock, dairy and poultry subsectors and its partners is a collaborative study with the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) and selected Asian research institutions.
Dr. Glenn Gregorio, Searca director, said the study has been deemed necessary and timely as the Philippine government's current agricultural initiatives and policies are skewed toward rice and corn.
"The study aims to determine comparative advantages of the Philippines and other Asian countries in terms of costs, production management, and marketing practices," Gregorio said.
He added the study will also identify and analyze key enabling policies that would strengthen the livestock, dairy and poultry subsectors.
According to Searca, the benchmarking study has local and international components and given its wide network in Asia, Searca leads the international component and has partnered with Peking University in China, Kasetsart University in Thailand and the Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development or IPSARD in Vietnam.
On the other hand, PIDS leads the local component of the benchmarking study under senior research fellow Dr. Roehlano Briones.
The project team for the international component is Searca Research and Thought Leadership Department staff, namely Dr. Pedcris Orencio, program head; Bernice Anne De Torres, program specialist; Rochella Lapitan, senior program associate; Ruth Jazrel Bandong, project associate; and Xyrus Godfrey Capiña, output-based project associate.
Also included in the international component are industry experts, namely Dr. Liborio Cabanilla, Philippines cross-country study leader; Dr. Jikun Huang, China country study leader; Dr. Somkiert Prasanpanich, Thailand country study leader; and Dr. Tran Cong Thang, Vietnam country study leader.
Expected to run until October 2021, Gregorio said the study results are expected to contribute to the development of national policies in support of the livestock, poultry and dairy industries.
UPLB-based Searca tapped in international benchmarking of PH livestock, dairy, poultry industries
