Farm data monitoring goes high tech with AI, satellites

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) have entered into a five-year agreement to improve the country’s agricultural data.

Under the framework, the agencies will utilize satellites and artificial intelligence to monitor crop conditions, map floods and droughts, assess irrigation resources, project yields and identify areas vulnerable to agricultural damage.

The two agencies will also exchange and validate maps and datasets on crop production, irrigation, droughts, floods and the impact of natural disasters.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the partnership would allow the government to assess on the ground and satellite information.

“The bigger payoff is turning data into decisions that can be made earlier and more precisely,” he added.

This would allow the government to improve its response to farm damage, strengthen irrigation planning and protect food production from floods, droughts and other climate risks.

It could also help track pests and diseases, assess soil conditions, monitor fisheries and identify productive fishing and aquaculture areas.

Tiu Laurel added that these technologies can also be used to map floodwaters, allowing the agencies to identify areas where excess water might be captured and stored for use during the dry season.

“Some of the water we now see as a hazard could become an agricultural resource,” he added.

PhilSA will supply satellite data and technical expertise, covering the acquisition, processing and analysis of earth observation data.

For its part, the DA will gather field information, validate satellite-based assessments and integrate remote sensing, geographic information systems and climate and hazard monitoring into its agricultural programs.

The DA added that field validators will be mobilized nationwide to conduct an on-the-ground validation of information, helping enhance the accuracy and reliability of satellite-based assessments.