Data transparency, consolidation to help predict agricultural prices and promote smart farming

Through Patricia B. MirasolProducer

The lack of transparency and consolidation of data hinders price forecasting of agricultural products, which Philippine scientists say goes a long way in developing an efficient food system.

A whole-of-government approach is needed when it comes to food distribution and processing, says Agnes C. Rola, an academic at the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) known for her work on the food supply. nexus between and among agriculture, environment and sustainable community development.

“The first step would be to strengthen that platform so that consumers, farmers, intermediaries and distributors will have the data they need to decide how much of a particular crop to produce or consume,” she said in an interview on July 10 on the sidelines of a NAST event.

This data transparency, she said, allows consumers to know how much to pay — and allows farmers to know what price to accept — for a product.

“We don’t have that kind of information because no one is monitoring it,” Ms. Rola said Business. “There are many considerations about what kind of indicators we need for an efficient food system, but for me the price information is the most important part.”

Determining what the market wants helps farmers decide what to plant, says Junel B. Soriano, director of the Department of Agriculture (DA)-Bureau of Agricultural Research.

“I don’t see a big challenge in terms of supply because as a farmer I can easily grow any crop on my plot,” he said. “As long as I know I can earn a better or higher income [by growing a particular crop]then I have to let it grow.”

Plotting data is useful in assessing weather conditions, which in turn play a role in crop diversity and agricultural production.

“There are areas where we cannot grow legumes or produce vegetables,” Mr Soriano said. “The correct positioning of crops depends on the weather, the market and the needs of other stakeholders.”

Data-driven agriculture is also part of smart agriculture, a management concept that uses advanced technologies (including drones, Internet of Thing sensors and management information systems) to improve agricultural production.

Farms where the environment is controlled – such as a vertical farm in a container truck – are a classic example of a smart farm, according to Elmer P. Dadios, a NAST academic and consultant on robotics and intelligent systems.

“I suggest that the DA have technicians who have knowledge of information sharing and training of farmers [these technologies]such as, for example, the use of drones,” he said at the same event on July 10.

Other stakeholders looking to help farmers with such technologies need to be aware of which technology suits a farmer’s needs, he said. Business.

“My advice to farmers is not to stop learning how to use these things. These technologies are there to help us,” he added.