The Department of Agriculture, represented by Senior Undersecretary Domingo F. Panganiban, and   state universities and colleges (SUC), through their respective presidents, inked the memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the 24 new projects to be supported under the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund’s Research for Development Component Program on 14 November 2023 in Diliman, Quezon City.

 The event, which marks the official partnership between the DA and the SUC for the R4D project implementation, was graced by DA Undersecretary for Administration and ACEF Program Management Committee (ACEF PMC) vice-chairperson Jane C. Bacayo, Bureau of Agricultural Research director Junel B. Soriano, DA-Agricultural Credit Policy Council deputy executive director and ACEF-PMC member Maria Cristina Lopez, project leaders, ACEF-PMC representatives, and DA-BAR officials and staff.

 The 24 new projects, composed of 17 R4D facilities upgrading projects and 7 support to technology commercialization projects, will be implemented by the SUC with farmers and fisherfolk cooperatives and associations as partners and beneficiaries of the agri-fishery technology assistance and support.