TECHNOLOGY FOR FARMING: WHY IT IS NOW ESSENTIAL FOR AGRICULTURE

TECHNOLOGY FOR FARMING: WHY IT IS NOW ESSENTIAL FOR AGRICULTURE

You’d think that in 2025, the idea of using information and communications technology (ICT) in agriculture would be mainstream by now. But alas, here we are—with at least eight government agencies that should be working together on this, still moving in their own solo directions.

Let’s name them, because they matter: the DICT, DA, DAR, DENR, CHED, TESDA, NAMRIA, and PhilSA (yes, our own space agency—Philippine Space Agency). Sounds like a powerful coalition, doesn’t it? But where’s the coordination? Where’s the synergy?

DICT and DA, naturally, should be leading the charge. The Department of Agriculture must innovate or become irrelevant. And DICT? Well, it’s their job to make sure tech reaches even the most remote corners of our country.

But this isn’t just about farming techniques. DAR must play a part, too. After distributing land to farmers, what comes next? Just leaving them to sink or swim? No. They need tech tools and knowledge to survive. DENR can’t sit this one out either—forests, mountains, and protected lands overlap with agriculture zones. Coordination is not optional.

CHED and TESDA? They’re the silent giants in this equation. CHED oversees state universities and colleges (SUCs) that have already created innovative Agri-tech—but that research rarely leaves the classroom. TESDA, on the other hand, should be on the frontlines of teaching farmers and Agri-workers basic ICT skills. Imagine turning our rural youth into digital agri-tech specialists. Why not?

Then there’s NAMRIA, our geospatial data powerhouse. They hold the maps, the terrain info, the elevation models—all essential to determining what can be planted, where, and when. And let’s not forget PhilSA. Satellites can help monitor weather, crop conditions, even pest outbreaks in real-time. We’ve launched a space agency—why aren’t we using it more effectively for the one thing we can’t afford to get wrong: food security?

Let’s be honest: modern agriculture without ICT is a non-starter. If we expect our farmers to stay competitive, we need to move them from carabaos to cloud computing. Agriculture today isn’t just about planting. It’s about planning, forecasting, logistics, packaging, financing, and yes—marketing.

Once upon a time, we were all excited about the “knowledge economy.” Remember that buzzword? Back then, we said everyone needed to be a “knowledge worker,” meaning digitally literate. It was a prophetic warning. If companies failed to adopt e-commerce, we said, they wouldn’t be doing business at all. Well, look around. That future is now.

It’s the same for agriculture. If our farmers don’t adopt digital tools soon, they may not be farming at all.

We need precision agriculture. We need sensors that track temperature and soil moisture. We need drones to monitor crops. We need satellites and even low-orbit balloons to bring connectivity to the most remote rice paddies. We need Internet of Things (IoT) devices that can use Long Range (LoRa) or TV White Space (TVWS)—connectivity options that don’t require expensive infrastructure.

We already have the tools. What we lack is the orchestration. These eight agencies, all capable, need to be singing from the same hymnbook. Right now, they’re playing different instruments on separate stages.

So, Mr. President, what do we need? A national task force? An Executive Order? A digital agriculture command center? Whatever it takes—give this effort the weight of executive authority.

Food security is not a talking point. It’s a survival issue. And in this era, it’s inseparable from tech. If we want to eat, we must digitize.

To my fellow citizens: If we can send satellites into orbit, we can surely send a drone over a cornfield. Let’s stop pretending the future is far away. It’s already here—our farmers just need the government to help them catch up.

Ramon Ike V. Seneres, www.facebook.com/ike.seneres
iseneres@yahoo.com, 09088877282, senseneres.blogspot.com

08-25-2025

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

HOW IS THE CRIME RATE COMPUTED IN THE PHILIPPINES?

HOW IS THE CRIME RATE COMPUTED IN THE PHILIPPINES? When we talk about the crime rate in the Philippines, we often assume that the figures we see are accurate reflections of reality. But have we ever paused to ask—how exactly is the crime rate computed? Where does this data come from, and how reliable is it? The computation of the crime rate in the Philippines is officially handled by the Philippine National Police (PNP). The formula itself is straightforward: Crime Rate = (Total Reported Crimes / Total Population) x 100,000 This simple equation gives us the number of crimes per 100,000 people, allowing for fair comparison across regions and time periods. However, the reality behind these numbers is more complex than it appears. Data from the Ground The foundation of our national crime rate is empirical data collected at the grassroots level—from individual police stations scattered across the country. Every reported crime is logged in local police blotters, forming the buil...
Read more

GREY AREAS IN GOVERNMENT FUNCTIONS

GREY AREAS IN GOVERNMENT FUNCTIONS Dear Mr. President: May I ask who is going to be the arbiter or referee whenever there are overlaps in functions between two or more government agencies? I imagine that there would be no problem if these agencies would just cooperate and collaborate with each other, but what if they are unable to settle their differences and they would just end up throwing blame at each other or finger pointing at each other? Allow me to cite some examples. Who is supposed to take the lead in waste to energy projects? Is it supposed to be the DENR that is supposed to handle waste? Or is it supposed to be the DOE that is supposed to handle energy generation? Or is it supposed to be the DILG since it is the one that could direct or influence the waste to energy projects of LGUs? Who is supposed to take the lead in producing and promoting the use of biofuels? Is it supposed to be the DA, since the production of biofuels is supposed to be all about planting biofuel ...
Read more

BATTLING A MENTAL HEALTH EPIDEMIC

BATTLING A MENTAL HEALTH EPIDEMIC It is already a well-established fact that the Covid-19 pandemic also triggered what could be called a mental health pandemic. It does not mean however that since the Covid-19 pandemic has practically slowed down, that the mental health pandemic has also slowed down. For the record, no one has officially declared the mental health problem is already a pandemic, but I suggest that we already make that declaration, so that we could respond to the problem with the attention that it needs. As far as I know, no one has declared that the Covid-19 pandemic is officially over, with most governments merely saying that it is now reduced to being a manageable epidemic, whatever that means. What is clear however, is that no one has also declared that the mental health pandemic is also over, in fact many governments would even hesitate to call it an epidemic. The fact remains however that globally, 1 out of 8 are affected according to the WHO, and locally, at least...
Read more