DA ‘command center’ to consolidate crop, weather, produce, livestock inventory data

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) said it is consolidating its data in a single “command center” platform which will compile crop, weather, produce and livestock inventory, among others.

According to the DA, the command center will allow the department to anticipate shortages, prevent oversupply, and improve regional coordination.

The DA said it is also exploring artificial intelligence (AI) tools that can process the data to generate actionable insights.

“We will use AI to ask the questions and then help us solve problems or situations,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, Jr. was quoted as saying in a statement.

Mr. Tiu Laurel said the AI service may be called Government Artificial Intelligence for Agriculture or GAIA.

The DA said the AI tool is expected to help the agency simulate crop scenarios, optimize planting schedules, detect disease risk early, and monitor farmgate price distortions. — Vonn Andrei E. Villamiel