DA data gathering framework now installed in Cebu

CEBU, Philippines - The framework for the data gathering solution project of the Department of Agriculture (DA) has already been installed in Cebu and is awaiting implementation.

Gracelen Dagala, Officer-in-Charge of DA 7’s Agriculture Commission (Agcom), said the program has been launched but a series of meetings is still underway to tackle outputs for the pilot-test in September.

 “Region 7 is one of the pilot areas of this project. The test-run here (in Cebu) was successful. This (software) is a platform that will help the easy transmittal of information from the field to the DA offices,” she told The FREEMAN yesterday.

Region 7 is one of the pilot-regions of the Nokia Data Gathering solution, a partnership between the Department of Agriculture (DA), Nokia and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)- Philippines , which enables the collection and sharing of critical data anytime and anywhere in the Philippines . The other regions were regions six, 10 and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).

Nokia, a company that combines advanced technology such as mobile phones, advanced smartphones and high-performance computers, with personalized services that enable people to stay close to “what matters to them.” WWF on the other hand is the world’s largest and most experienced conservation organization, operating in over 100 countries. Since 1997, WWF-Philippines has been spearheading solutions to help the country adapt to changing climates, secure food sources to alleviate poverty, and conserve local ecosystems to preserve natural benefits, among others.

Dagala said the DA 7 is now preparing the list of farmer-traders and their agricultural produce as well as the possible markets for these products. As soon as the program is launched, farmers in the field will be able to link with the DA and inform them of the products such as fruits including the volume and the market prices. With its available list of possible markets, the DA can easily facilitate sending these products to where they are needed.

Greg Elphinston, Nokia Finland’s director for Corporate Social Investment, said in a report that Nokia E71 mobile phones with the Nokia data gathering solution has been deployed to 100 pre-identified areas.

“Our ambition is to service all 1,500 Philippine municipalities within a decade,” he said.

The software, which enabled Brazilian provinces to craft effective response strategies using data that established the damage extent and responses to treatment of dengue, had greatly contributed to the fight against the epidemic of the Brazilian Ministry of Health.

In the Philippines, former DA Secretary Bernie Fondevilla said the solution will be used to help the agency gather data to solve the insufficient farm yields, especially rice, in the country.

“Rice is the staple food in the Philippines, where upwards of four million hectares are devoted to cultivation. Overpopulation, droughts, storms, wasteful processing methods plus the uneven cost of seeds and fertilizer have hurt local production, forcing the government to import a part of the nation’s rice needs,” he said in a statement.

“The Nokia Data Gathering solution will augment and eventually replace our data-gathering systems so we can concentrate on crafting programs and solutions to further boost farm yields despite the erratic weather patterns,” Fondevilla added.