PH to use space tech in agri monitoring

MANILA, Philippines  —The Bureau of Agricultural and Fisheries Engineering (BAFE) and the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) are turning to technology to improve production and transport of goods from farmers to consumers.

The two agencies signed an agreement to monitor agricultural commodities, such as corn and onion, and farm-to-market roads (FMRs) in Nueva Ecija province using satellite data and space technology applications.

BAFE and PhilSA will collaborate on the Farm-to-Market Road and Agricultural Commodity Geodatabase and Remote Sensing Application Phase 1 (DigitalAgri Phase 1), which involves modernizing data collection, analysis and dissemination.

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This is expected to boost market access, increase productivity and enhance the resilience of agricultural systems, according to BAFE.

Joint R&D

Under the accord, they will facilitate joint research, development and operationalization activities through the provision of data from Earth observation (EO) satellites and the utilization of space applications and technologies. The monitoring covers crop stage and health, yield estimation and prediction, pest and disease detection and land use mapping.

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The project intends to monitor FMRs via remote sensing, including road type, accessibility mapping and infrastructure planning.
PhilSA will conduct feasibility analysis, field surveys and validation activities in pilot areas and develop methodologies for near real-time image and monitoring.

“[These] are crucial for oversight agencies, particularly during emergencies like disasters and calamities, to enhance data collection,” PhilSA said.