Senator Gatchalian proposes establishment of agriculture information system

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian has filed a bill seeking to establish the Agriculture Information System (AIS) in all provinces, cities, and municipalities.

Gatchalian, author of Senate Bill 1653, said that the AIS "would provide real-time insights on crop yields, market demand, and other important farm data to help empower farmers to optimize harvests and help prevent price increases caused by inefficiency." 

Information about the demand for certain agricultural and fishery goods is collected and uploaded at the same time as the production data from farmers in each barangay, according to the bill.

"The AIS shall merge and synchronize agricultural data from different sources into a cohesive database designed to facilitate linkages from place of origin or the farm to local, and ultimately, global markets."

The bill proposes that the AIS be managed by the Department of Agriculture (DA).

In addition to running the AIS, the proposed law states that the DA must allocate funds to connect the AIS with other information systems, ensure that it is properly implemented with verification processes and information protections, and work with other agencies to create market connections both locally and internationally. —VBL, GMA Integrated News