MANILA, Philippines — A new command center to consolidate food supply data will be launched in November, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said yesterday, as the government moves to respond better to price swings and stabilize farmers’ incomes.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the facility, described as the DA’s “digital nerve center,” will pool information now scattered across agencies.
“When I accepted this Cabinet portfolio, my thinking was ‘produce, produce, produce.’ Nearly two years into the job, I’ve realized that equally important is to ‘manage, manage, manage,’” Tiu Laurel said.
The first phase will focus on the rice value chain, where volatile prices have unsettled both farmers and policymakers.
Trade data will come primarily from the Bureau of Plant Industry’s Osiris system, which tracks shipments and import flows.
The hub will also integrate production, imports, stock levels, varietal breakdowns, wholesale and retail prices, consumption rates, post-harvest and irrigation infrastructure, utilization, spoilage and global market trends.
“The DA already (has) most of these data but they are scattered across various agencies. We must bring them together and make market sense of them, plus gather additional data that we lack, so we can use our limited resources more efficiently and productively,” said Tiu Laurel.
According to the DA, rice imports in April and May totaled 970,000 metric tons (MT), exceeding the country’s average monthly consumption of around 320,000 MT and contributing to a drop in palay prices.
The surge prompted President Marcos to suspend rice importation for two months starting Sept. 1.
The DA said sharper forecasting from the command center should help cushion future price shocks.
This, combined with the planned restoration of regulatory powers to the agency and the National Food Authority (NFA), is expected to provide more stable income for rice farmers.
It added that the model would later cover high-value crops, livestock, poultry, and fisheries, and include a central registry of food facilities and warehouses.