The Department of Agriculture has again ventured on smart greenhouse technology, this time, for its projects in Visayas and Mindanao.
In a statement, the agriculture department announced that it has recently launched a greenhouse project in Iloilo after it has received funding from South Korea. The grant is part of South Korea’s official development assistance amounting to KRW 3.15 billion (US$ 2.8 million).
DA Secretary William Dar expressed appreciation for the loan granted by South Korea. He added that the funds will be coursed through South Korea’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The grant of funds will be extended up to 2024.
Additional projects
Aside from its most recent undertaking in Iloilo, the DA also revealed that it has in its pipeline 10 other greenhouse projects. Likewise, the department announced in the same statement that it will be launching a similar smart project in Bukidnon.
The purpose behind these projects is to showcase “modern sustainable vegetable technologies which can, in turn, encourage farmers in Western Visayas and Northern Mindanao to produce and earn more.”
In addition, the DA aims to enhance branding and distribution of agricultural products and to engage in research and dissemination of technical information on agricultural processes.
These undertakings form part of staunch initiatives from the DA under its Plant, Plant, Plant program. Through this program, the DA said it intends to take the leap into innovative farming methodologies which can encourage millennials and communities to put up similar ventures.
The vision, according to the agriculture department, is to gradually shift from traditional to modern smart farming and encourage communities and millennials to set up and operate their own smart farms.
Aside from launching its smart projects, the agriculture department will also conduct training with Filipino farmers and researchers which will be conducted by Korean experts as part of the joint undertaking of the two countries.
This is not the first time that the DA has delved into greenhouse technology. Just recently, it has unveiled its Smart Agriculture System Project (SASP) in Western Visayas.
The SASP is based on an information and technology model. It has the capacity to conduct an assessment of a particular region’s smart agri technology. The results gathered through the SASP are used to develop a smart agricultural roadmap.
In 2019, the department launched its first smart greenhouse project in Cordillera. This innovation has the capacity to enhance farm productivity and produce tomatoes using advanced farming methods.
Aside from greenhouse projects, the DA has been allocating its funds to boost the agricultural sector in different areas in the Philippines. This month, the department stated that it has turned over PHP 454 million (US$ 9.4 million) for the development of agriculture in Cebu.
Next year, the DA mentioned that it is planning to increase its budget for Cebu in an attempt to increase agricultural output in the area.
