Asia and the Pacific

Over the past decade, growth in Pakistan’s agricultural R&D spending has been modest but erratic.

The country’s total number of agricultural researchers grew slightly in recent years, mostly due to increased involvement in agricultural R&D by universities; however, relative to its South Asian neighbors, Pakistan has a low share of PhD-qualified agricultural researchers.

Agricultural R&D investment and human resource capacity in Nepal grew in recent years in response to increased government funding; nevertheless, much more is needed to address the agricultural sector’s many critical challenges.        

NARC is by far the largest agency conducting agricultural R&D in Nepal, accounting for more than 80 percent of the country’s agricultural R&D investments and human resource capacity in 2012.      

The total number of agricultural researchers in Bangladesh increased considerably in recent years, largely due to a major influx of PhD-qualified scientists at BARI and the agricultural universities.

Agricultural research spending has followed a somewhat erratic trend over time, but the launch of NATP (2009–2014) spurred a marked increase in overall investment levels.

Despite year-to-year fluctuations, agricultural research investment in Malaysia remained roughly constant between 2002 and 2010. Capacity levels did increase, however, primarily reflecting the recruitment of younger, BSc-qualified researchers. The country’s growing researcher capacity measured against a decreasing number of farmers led to a higher ratio of researchers to farmers. In comparison, research spending intensity fluctuated, largely in response to volatile AgGDP levels.

During the first decade of the new millennium, Sri Lanka’s worsening security situation forced the national government to allocate an increasing share of public resources to national security. This was at the expense of other public investments, including agricultural research. Moreover, revenues generated by a cess on plantation crops were gradually channeled away from agricultural R&D. Both factors had a notable impact on the country’s total agricultural R&D spending, which declined by roughly one-third during 2000–2009.

Agricultural researcher totals in Vietnam increased steadily during 1991–2003, reaching nearly 3,000 fte’s in 2003. The country’s agricultural R&D expenditures almost tripled throughout 1996–2002 as a result of an increased commitment by the national government to financing agricultural research, as well as a rise in donor  support. Nonetheless, average expenditures per researcher and research intensity levels are still lower than in many of Vietnam’s Southeast Asian neighbors.

During 1981-2003, the number of agricultural researchers in Sri Lanka increased steadily. Agricultural R&D spending also rose throughout this period, albeit more erratically. In 2003, total expenditures amounted to $60 million (in 2000 constant prices). Research agencies focusing on export plantation crops reported remarkable increases in their total spending levels over the previous two decades. Combined spending totals at the eight agencies under MALLI, however, remained relatively unchanged during the same period.

In 2005, agriculture accounted for 14 percent of the Philippines’ gross domestic product (GDP), down from 23 percent in 1982. Despite the decreasing importance of  agriculture in the country’s GDP and exports, the sector still represents a priority area to the Philippines as roughly three-quarters of the rural poor depend on agriculture for employment and income. Agricultural research and development (R&D) is crucial in alleviating rural poverty and it is therefore granted a priority by the Philippine government.

Agricultural researcher totals in the Philippines have increased gradually over the past two decades. In fact, with close to 4,000 fte researchers in 2002, the  Philippines has one of the largest agricultural research systems in Asia. Nevertheless, average scientific qualifications of Philippine agricultural research staff are  relatively low: less than half of all agricultural researchers held postgraduate degrees in 2002. In terms of total agricultural research spending, the Philippines ranks behind more economically advanced Asian countries.