An Assessment of the Impact of the Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources (AFNR) Program on Its Student and Alumni Participants

From 2008 to 2011, Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD) implemented a national program entitled, “Enhancing the Demand for Agriculture, Forestry, and Natural Resources (AFNR) Graduates through Science and Technology.” Since the end of the program, no study has attempted to measure its impacts. In this study, two of the impacts examined were related to the participants’ personal entrepreneurial competencies (PECs) and their employability. A with-and-without research design was employed. A survey was conducted among 90 program participants and 60 counterpart nonparticipants. The respondents answered a personal entrepreneurial competencies (PEC) self-rating questionnaire composed of 55 Likert scale items related to 10 PECs. They were also queried on the number of months before they got their first job as well as their starting salaries. The PEC scores of the AFNR participants were higher for almost all the competencies compared to the nonparticipants. On the other hand, the time elapsed to first job was found to be shorter for participants compared to the nonparticipants. However, the nonparticipants’ mean monthly salary was higher compared to that of the participants. In general, the AFNR program had a positive impact on the student and alumni participants in terms of entrepreneurial competencies. There were, however, mixed results in terms of the employability indicators. It is recommended that should there be a similar program in the future, the duration of the program should be made longer to accommodate longer and more intensive trainings

The Fulbright-Philippine Agriculture Scholarship Program: Capacity Building for Institutional Impacts in the Philippine Agricultural Sector

From 1999 to 2006, the Fulbright-Philippine Agriculture Scholarship Program (FPASP) awarded grants to 143 Filipino scholars for them to pursue graduate studies or conduct research in the United States. Its goal was to develop human resource capacity for the Philippine agricultural and fisheries sectors. While there have been studies on the impact of foreign program–assisted scholarships, focusing on personal and professional impacts, we expanded the framework by looking at institutional impacts. This study surveyed 88 former scholars and conducted 4 focus group discussions and 4 key informant interviews with institutional administrators in order to describe the contributions of these scholars and document the impact of the FPASP on institutional capacity building for the Philippine agricultural sector. Results show that the FPASP scholars contributed to the enhancement of research, teaching, extension, regulatory, and management capacities in their respective institutions. However, factors such as lack of facilities, resources, support staff, and funds, as well as the heavy workloads, restricted the scholars’ institutional impact. It is recommended that a similar agriculture-specific graduate scholarship program be launched

Comparing Open-Ended Choice Experiments and Experimental Auctions: An Application to Golden Rice

We use two different experimental valuation methods to estimate consumer demand for genetically-modified golden rice. The first is an open-ended choice experiment (OECE) where participants name the quantities of golden rice and conventional rice demanded at each of several price combinations, one of which will be randomly chosen as binding. This allows us to estimate market demand by aggregating demand across participants. This estimate of market demand also allows us to estimate own-price elasticity and consumer surplus for golden rice. Comparing willingness-to-pay (WTP) estimates from the OECE with those from a uniform-price auction, we find that OECE WTP estimates exhibit less affiliation across rounds, and the effects of positive and negative information under the OECE are more consistent with prior expectations and existing studies. We also find that while auction WTP estimates more than double across five rounds, OECE WTP estimates are stable across rounds and are always roughly equal to those from the final auction round.choice experiments, experimental auctions, golden rice, valuation

An Assessment of the Personal Entrepreneurial Competencies of Grade 12 Students in Three High Schools in Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines

Under the K-12 program’s academic track, there are four strands: (1) accountancy, business, and management (ABM); (2) science and technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM); (3) humanities and social sciences (HUMSS); and (4) general academics (GAS). The program’s goal is to contextualize entrepreneurship in all of these strands and consequently develop the students’ entrepreneurial skills regardless of the strand. The study aimed to assess the individual personal entrepreneurial competency (PEC) levels of grade 12 students from various strands in three high schools in Los Baños, Laguna. A PEC survey was conducted among 193 grade 12 students from Christian School International (CSI), Maquiling School Inc. (MSI), and the UP Rural High School (UPRHS). The researchers analyzed the data using frequency analysis, Kruskal- Wallis test, and chi-square analysis. Out of the 10 PECs, the ABM track students (both from CSI and UPRHS) posted the highest scores in nine PECs. Unexpectedly, the STEM students from CSI had the highest score in persuasion and networking. In CSI, the STEM and ABM students’ PEC scores significantly differed in mostly the achievement-related PECs. At MSI, the GAS and STEM students’ PEC scores significantly differed only in terms of persuasion and networking. Meanwhile in UPRHS, it was found that there were differences among the PEC scores of strands in terms of opportunity-seeking, goal setting, and self-confidence. It was concluded that entrepreneurship can also be promoted among the STEM students. The treatment of STEM subjects should be given an entrepreneurial slant to further develop the students’ PECs

Motivating Factors, Barriers, and Success Factors among Agri-based Micro- and Small-scale Women Entrepreneurs in Isabela, Philippines

In recent years, a number of women have started agribusiness enterprises in Isabela, Philippines, such as the production and retailing of dominant agricultural products like rice and corn, livestock and poultry raising, and the processing of root crops into native delicacies. This study aims to examine the motivating factors, start-up barriers, and success factors among micro- and small-scale women entrepreneurs in selected areas in Isabela, Philippines. A survey was conducted among 46 women entrepreneurs whose businesses were based in the cities of Ilagan and Cauayan and the town of Roxas. Descriptive statistics, factor analysis, and chi-square analysis were employed to analyze the data. In terms of their personal entrepreneurial competency (PEC) profile, the women entrepreneurs were found to be moderate (i.e., scoring 16–18 out of a possible 25) in terms of opportunity-seeking, demand for quality and efficiency, systematic planning and monitoring, persuasion and networking and self-confidence and weak in the area of goal-setting. Women entrepreneurs were motivated to establish a business by the following factors: achievement, competence, affiliation factor, and job/financial security. On the other hand, the women entrepreneurs faced common start-up problems like lack of training education, unavailability of low-interest loans for capital, and career-family conflict. Meanwhile, two success factors were found to be associated to performance (i.e., micro vs. small-scale): if the entrepreneur had finished a business degree and if their business was the only source of family income. The study recommended that organizations should conduct action-oriented trainings to develop the PECs of Isabela women entrepreneurs. Future studies should consider having a larger sample size

Lanzones Production and Marketing in Laguna, Philippines: Current Practices, Challenges, and Prospects

The province of Laguna in the Philippines has been a major producer of lanzones. The study was conducted to present the profile of the players in the lanzones industry, describe and assess the current performance of the industry, identify problems as well as investment opportunities and recommend possible solutions for the local lanzones industry. Data gathering involved conducting interviews via a survey of 172 lanzones farmers and 30 lanzones traders selected using stratified random sampling and secondary data collection. Results showed that lanzones farmers practice intercropping in view of the crop’s seasonality and better profitability. Challenges include the onslaught of typhoons, fluctuating temperature and pests and diseases. Prospects include the presence of hardy foreign varieties such as ‘duku’ or ‘longkong’ and macrosomatic cloning to boost production. Using new technologies, farmer participation in seminars, intercropping with rambutan and putting up a demo farm for macrosomatic cloning are among the proposed recommendations

Factors Associated with Farmer Participation in the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) Rice Crop Insurance Program in Pila, Laguna

This study determined the factors that affect the decision making of farmers relative to rice crop insurance participation in Pila, Laguna, Philippines, and provide strategic insights for the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) using a survey questionnaire, Cramer’s V, phi coefficient, point-biserial correlation, and descriptive analysis. Study respondents included sixty rice farmers in Pila, Laguna: thirty PCIC-insured farmers during the second cropping season of 2018, and thirty uninsured rice farmers. Results showed that age, education, number of dependents, group affiliation, gender, civil status, years in farming, farm size, and tenure status had a moderate to strong influence over a farmer’s decision to avail of crop insurance. Moreover, farmer’s production cost, revenue, and income were positively associated with insurance status while tenure status, cost, revenue, and net income of farmers had a negative association with insurance status. Share tenant farmers are likely to avail of PCIC crop insurance when their financial situation deteriorates. Major reasons for availing of PCIC rice crop insurance included the need to secure farm operating capital for the next cropping season and loss recovery in case of crop damage due to calamities and pest infestation. Reasons for not availing rice insurance were unawareness of the insurance program and farm operators having had no authority to decide. Strategic insights for PCIC are offered

The Effects of Dry Spell on Eggplant Production in Batangas City, Philippines

According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, there is an unclear understanding as to the extent to which natural disasters cause significant impacts to the agriculture sector, especially on its subsectors. Most studies holistically focus on the agriculture sector as a whole and fail to address sector-specific industries. This research was conducted to identify the nature and extent of effects of dry spell on a specific sector, eggplant production, in Batangas City in the Philippines. To determine the effects of the dry spell, 71 eggplant farmers situated in the barangays (villages) of Tabangao Dao, Pinamucan East, and Sto. Niño in Batangas City were interviewed. The data was analyzed using frequency and mean analysis as well as cost and return analysis. The respondents reported that the dry spell delayed their transplanting activity, which led to delays in fertilizer application. The dry spell also decreased the quality of the eggplants, as well as increased the number of twisted-shaped eggplants, fruits with brown streaks and lesions on the skin, and fruits which were stunted and thin. Consequently, there was a decrease of good-graded eggplants and the increase in semi-good and rejected eggplants. Lastly, on the average, there was a 105 kg per harvest per hectare decrease in eggplant production in Batangas City, which resulted to a PhP14,880.85 reduction in the expected income of the farmers. It is recommended that the government provide a communal water source, subsidize the costs of some production inputs, and link the farmers to technology developers and agriculture experts who can help develope appropriate coping mechanisms against dry spells. Further, the eggplant farmers must be encouraged to practice mulching, contour farming, and crop rotation to minimize possible production losses from dry spells

Developing Agri-based Technopreneurs in the Academe: The Case of Two DOST-Funded Projects in the University of the Philippines Los Baños

This paper assesses the outcome of two Department of Science and Technology (DOST)–funded projects geared towards promoting technopreneurship among students of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB). It describes the various technopreneurial trainings and other inputs under the Agriculture, Foresty, and Natural Resources (AFNR) project. Then, using an action research design, it documents and examines the experiences of twenty-six (26) student-technopreneurs who conducted start-up businesses for five months using three UPLB-developed technologies, with supplementary funds coming from the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD-DOST). The study uses primary and secondary data from the student-technopreneurs, validated through key informant interviews, to gain insights into the process of running the start-ups, including the challenges encountered and lessons learned, and then evaluates their performance using three parameters, namely, financial performance, entrepreneurial competencies developed, and the number of businesses registered after the project. Results show that the student-technopreneurs under the high-end cheese and by-products track were the most financially successful, followed by those under the fruit juice and puree track. Those under the microbial rennet were the least successful. All of the participants reportedly gained personal entrepreneurial competencies, the most important of which being acquisition of technological know-how. On the overall, the two projects are assessed to be successful. Lastly, only seven registered their businesses as most perceived that their current production scale was too small to require business registration. The paper then provides future directions for research and recommendations on how to improve the conduct of similar projects based on the experiences of the participants and the insights from the project management team

Development and Survivorship of Scirtothrips Dorsalis Hood (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in Different Growth Stages of Mango and Selected Weeds

The research objective was to quantify the development and survivorship rate of S. dorsalis in different phenological stages of mango and selected weeds. The research was conducted in the laboratory of PT. Trigatra Rajasa, Mango plantation in Ketowan, Arjasa, Situbondo, East Java, Indonesia from February to September 2015. The development and survivorship rate were done through observation of life span of S. dorsalis from egg to pupa. Analysis of Variance and Duncan Multiple Range Test (p = 0.05) with 5 replications were applied to ensure the significant differences among the treatments. The result showed that development and survivorship of Scirtothrips dorsalis were supported by mango flushes and flower as well as some weeds such as Leucania leucochepala, Ipomoea triloba, Achalypha indica, Desmanthus leptophyllus and Azadirachta indica as source of food. Achalypha indica was the most suitable host with development time (12.82 ± 0.21 days) and survivorship (33 %). Weed Tridax procumbent, Momordica charantia and Mimosa pudica were unable to provide the living requirement for immature developmental stage of S. dorsalis