NEDA Encourages Collaboration Among Government Agencies and Academe for Remote-Sensing Technologies in Agriculture
The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) is urging collaboration and harmonization of efforts among various national government agencies and academic institutions engaged in the application of remote-sensing technologies in the agricultural sector. The utilization of data from such technologies can play a crucial role in informing anticipatory food price stabilization policies.
As the chair of the Inter-agency Committee on Inflation and Market Outlook (IAC-IMO), NEDA has been actively exploring the use of satellite-based technologies to inform anticipatory inflation management policies. The potential of these technologies lies in their ability to deliver data in a timelier manner. Recommendations from the IAC-IMO are elevated to the Economic Development Group (EDG) for further discussions and endorsement to the President.
During a knowledge-sharing activity hosted by NEDA on October 18, 2023, NEDA Assistant Secretary Reynaldo R. Cancio emphasized, “The various technologies we discussed have significant potential to enhance our understanding, management, and policy-making for the agricultural sector.”
Participants at the event shared their experiences in utilizing satellite images, drones, artificial intelligence (AI), or a combination of these technologies to generate agricultural data, including crop planting areas, expected crop yields, and flood risk areas. Other remote-sensing technologies presented also generate data on crop health and status, pest and disease incidence, and drought and flood hazard areas, which can be instrumental in monitoring the supply situation and outlook on agriculture.
Cancio stated, “There’s a lot that has already been done with these technologies, but there is still a lot that we need to do, especially when it comes to collaboration and coordination between the organizations present today.”
NEDA expressed hope for continued collaboration among the organizations to harmonize these technologies and expand their utilization to create timelier and more reliable datasets for informing policy. A series of forums with technology developers is envisioned to develop a harmonized and streamlined arsenal of remote-sensing technologies.
“We look forward to working together with all of you so that we can have a stronger and more advanced agricultural sector – a better Philippines where our fellow countrymen can enjoy a matatag, maginhawa, at panatag na buhay,” Cancio concluded.
Agencies and academic institutions that presented their initiatives on remote sensing technologies for agriculture include the Philippine Rice Research Institute’s (PhilRice) PRiSM team, the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) Project SARAI team, the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development (DOST-PCAARRD), DOST-Advanced Science and Technology Institute (DOST-ASTI), the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA), the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the Department of Agriculture (DA), the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), and the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA). The Department of Finance (DOF), who co-chairs the IAC-IMO, presented an overview of the committee and shared insights on how data from remote-sensing technologies could inform inflation policy recommendations.
