DA taps AI, satellites for food planning

Artificial intelligence and satellite technology are set to play a bigger role in the country’s food security strategy as the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) strengthen their data-sharing partnership to improve production planning and policy decisions.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said closer collaboration between the two agencies will provide policymakers with more accurate and timely information to guide decisions on food production, logistics, and government interventions.

“As they say, information is key to making the right decisions,” Tiu Laurel said. “Accurate and timely data will ensure that our food security objectives are met. It tells us where production is strong, where it is weak, and where government intervention is needed.”

The initiative includes expanding the use of satellite imagery and artificial intelligence to estimate crop production, technologies that the PSA has begun piloting based on practices already adopted in several countries.

National Statistician and Economic Undersecretary Claire Dennis S. Mapa said the partnership recognizes the importance of agriculture and fisheries as key contributors to economic growth, employment, and the country’s food supply.

“We want to assure the DA that we are generating reliable and accurate statistics,” Mapa said, adding that both agencies are also working to strengthen the capacity of local government units and DA-attached agencies to improve the quality of agricultural data. “The accuracy of data is critical in supporting sound policymaking.”

Mapa noted that satellite-based estimates will become more reliable as the DA expands field validation, allowing personnel to verify remotely generated information through on-site inspections.

Tiu Laurel also renewed his call to rebuild the department’s network of agricultural extension workers, describing them as the agency’s much-needed “boots on the ground.” He said deploying more personnel across municipalities would allow the DA to collect near real-time field information, improve production forecasts, and respond faster to issues affecting farmers and fisherfolk.

The agriculture chief likewise welcomed the conduct of a new national census this year, saying updated population and consumption figures will help estimate future food demand, refine production targets, and prepare more accurate budgets.

“Data should not simply tell us what happened,” Tiu Laurel said. “It should help us anticipate what comes next so the DA can be proactive, not reactive, in protecting the country’s food supply.”

The strengthened partnership reflects the DA’s push to modernize agricultural planning by combining advanced technologies with more reliable statistics, enabling faster and better-informed decisions to support food production and national food security.