The Department of Agriculture (DA) is increasing its efforts to develop modern agricultural technologies aimed at advancing the farming practices of Filipino farmers and increasing their efficiency, yield, and revenues.

As agriculture is one of the sectors that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. champions, he is pushing for the modernization of the field, saying that investments in the sector are pivotal in combating hunger and poverty and achieving the administration's goal of food sufficiency and security.

In January of last year, the DA introduced its three-year plan, "Para sa Masaganang Bagong Pilipinas," aimed at strengthening the country's agriculture and fisheries sectors while enhancing the livelihoods of farmers and fishermen. This blueprint aims to modernize agricultural production, ensuring that all key stakeholders, from farmers to retailers, benefit from the advancements.

This focuses on expanding and improving available agri-fishery areas for increased production, mechanizing and modernizing agri-fishery production systems; developing and improving post-harvest systems and infrastructure; developing efficient logistics systems for both input and production output; improving and expanding local and international market access; the proper balancing of both the developmental and regulatory roles of the DA; science and information-driven decision-making through digitalization; strong partnerships with farmers, fishermen, the private sector, and other stakeholders; and available and accessible financial mechanisms that encourage investments and minimize risks.

With this, the DA is making changes to realize these goals. Among the areas the DA is currently improving is the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA), which provides the agency with a systematic way of directly reaching and supporting its beneficiary farmers and fishers and serves as a reference for the targeting and monitoring of programs, activities, and projects of the Department.

“First, we started with the [RSBSA]. So, we improved the registry of farmers and fishermen. We based the intervention on those farmers and fishermen who registered. So, any intervention in terms of fertilizer, seed subsidy, cash, food, fuel, data distribution, drones, and pesticides,” DA Director for Information and Communications Technology Service (ICTS) Honorio Flameño, PhD told DAILY TRIBUNE.

He explained that every intervention that the DA extends to the farmers is passed through the registry to ensure that the aid provided is extended to legitimate recipients.

“We also focus more on enhancing the data and monitoring system to improve process tracking, resource monitoring, and evidence-based decision-making,” he added.

Data Ecosystem

Moreover, Flameño said the DA is improving its data ecosystem with various developments. Among its initiatives is the development of price indicators that farmers can access online.

“We received a new insertion to cover the digital agriculture project. So now it's ongoing, the weather intelligence of the NIA [National Irrigation Administration]. It’s ready for public bidding,” the DA official said.