President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. shared his plans for a digital farmer registry and food balance sheet to improve Philippine agriculture.
Marcos shared his plans after meeting with the Agriculture Sector Group of the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) at Malacañang Palace.
The PSAC said a digital food balance sheet could help the country achieve food security, help small-holder farmers earn more, and reduce government spending.
What are the President’s proposed digital reforms for agriculture?
Photo Credit: www.fao.org
The Private Sector Advisory Council proposed the implementation of a digital farmer registry and food balance sheet.
The former refers to the national Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA).
According to the PNA update, more than 5.4 million farm workers, farmers, and fisherfolk have signed up for the database.
It explains RSBSA registration is voluntary. It is a basic requirement for accessing agri-fishery-related government services, specifically for the Department of Agriculture (DA) programs.
Also, it has three parts: farmer and fisherfolk profiling, farm parcel georeferencing, and the interventions monitoring system.
Meanwhile, the food balance sheet (FBS) presents a detailed analysis of a country’s food supply trends during a specific period.
It estimates “the per capita food available for human consumption” based on quantity, calories, fat, and protein contents.
Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Cheloy Garafil said other nations like Indonesia and Kenya already have a digital food balance sheet.
Moreover, the PSAC’s presentation notes that the country could set it up within 12 weeks. It would use an aggregated and analytical data set compiled by the Philippine Statistics Authority.
“The PSAC pointed out that the digital FBS would include real-time data and accelerate change in the agriculture sector,” Garafil stated.
“The proposed FBS is foreseen to increase the income of small-holder farmers and results in additional government budget savings,” the secretary added.
Also, it could help the Philippines achieve food security in “sugar, rice, coconut as well as livestock.”
Secretary Garafil noted the PSAC proposed the creation of an FBS Committee comprised of experts from the public and private sectors.
Conclusion
Marcos welcomed the PSAC’s proposal to have a digital food balance sheet and farmer registry. Also, he agreed to allocate ₱1.2 billion for replanting coconut seedlings.
Garafil said the PSAC recommended using salt as a fertilizer for coconuts to improve yields. Also, the PSAC recommended training farmers in intercropping to “increase their productivity.”
The Philippines has been rapidly implementing digital reforms under the Marcos administration. Stay up-to-date with the latest trends via Inquirer Tech.