A state-of-the-art facility dedicated to agricultural genomics will soon rise at UP Los Baños. 

To signal the start of the facility’s construction, UPLB held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Agricultural Genomics Research Center (AGRC) on December 6 at the project site located along the Pili Drive in the UPLB campus.

The AGRC will serve as a facility for groundbreaking research in crop improvement, disease resistance, and sustainable farming practices. 

It is a collaborative project among the government of Korea through the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), UPLB, and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). 

The building costs USD 5.0 million and is part of a bigger grant project titled “Capacity-Building for Higher Education and the Establishment of Agricultural Genomics Research Center at the University of the Philippines Los Baños” that has been allocated with around USD 14.95 million by the Korean government.

UP President Angelo A. Jimenez said that through the AGRC, the University will create a “hub of innovation”, and a place for agriculture students to learn and for researchers to conduct “groundbreaking studies” in agricultural economics.  

Hosted by Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension Nathaniel Bantayan, the occasion saw the presence of guests, including His Excellency Lee Sang-Hwa, the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Philippines; Lee Yun Young, the Vice President of KOICA; UP President Jimenez; UPLB Chancellor Jose V. Camacho, Jr.; and Ajay Kohli, the Interim Director General of IRRI. (Joseph Andre Mane)