“The BAR is now in pursuit of raising the BAR of excellence to a more impact-driven pathway,” said DA-BAR OIC-director Joell H. Lales in his presentation during the DA-BAR 2023 management committee meeting on 6 February 2023 at 4F, DA-BAR Conference Hall, Quezon City.
“The thrust is changing, we are doing more cascading, the modality [now] is towards a more equitable allocation of investment in areas with high poverty incidence (in the country),” he added.
Pivoting toward strengthened research for development agenda, institutionalizing R4D programs that best fit the current needs, and challenges of the AF sector and its R4DE system, DA-BAR will prioritize projects that focus on scaling ready and mature agricultural technologies through Community-based R4DE Program for Farm Productivity and Sustainability (CPAR) and Agricultural Technology Business Incubators (ATBI) toward ease of adoption and commercialization.
CPAR will focus on the deployment of best practices and upscaling of mature, market-driven, and demand-driven technologies in soil, water, nutrient, crop management, and product processing to enhance productivity and expand market opportunities for selected agriculture and fisheries products.
Whereas the ATBI will focus on increasing the capacities of research-based business incubators in managing agri-fisheries technology-based enterprises.
For the renewed modalities, DA-BAR will be directly engaging target communities, along with research for development stakeholders in the locality, following a more functional and spatial planning and whole-of-the-nation approach.
The meeting, which is composed of DA-BAR’s top officials and concerned staff, also discussed the R4DE agenda, programs, and activities; recent directives and pressing concerns of the DA; administrative and financial concerns, and human resources management.
“Hopefully, by 2024, we will be able to implement a more equitable, inclusive, and participatory R4DE program management,” said OIC-director Lales.