MARRYING technology and agriculture is nothing new. Over the course of the history, civilizations have developed various technology to improve agriculture.
Recently, nations are tapping into the power of digital technology to improve the agriculture sector in their respective countries.
However, in the Philippines, the movement to use the potential of digital technology has only started to gain ground.
Henry Aguda, Chief Technology and Operations Officer and Chief Transformation Officer of UnionBank, said during the TechUp Pilipinas Agri Summit press conference on August 25 at Events @ Enderun, Azuela Cove, Davao City said when it comes to digital technology, the use of the internet and mobile applications are already widely used by different agriculture players.
He said the technology has been used to improve agriculture and to increase yield and productivity.
"The Philippines have tried to use the technology but it was costly and complicated... [But] We are excited now as there is a new set of digital technology that allows us to address problems," Aguda said.
He said this new set of technology includes articial intelligence, blockchain, and internet of things (IOT).
"These are new tecnology that are not as expensive as its predecessors but are also easy to deploy," Aguda said, adding that agriculture is going to be one of those areas where these new set of technology can adress the problems being faced in the agricultural sector.
For blockchain, Aguda said it can be used in tracking produce from farm to table.
"Blockchain will allow you to track the source of the produce until where it was served," he said.
Aguda said in Malaysia, he encountered a developer who used blockchain technology to track the parts of the cow from where it came from to where it was served.
He said this is being done to seek financial support for backyard cow growers," he said.
Aguda said there are already firms in the country that are developing softwares or applications using these new technologies.
"With these new technologies, when you combine them together you can increase yields. The technolgy does not increase yields in increments but it can increase it to 200 to 300 times depending on how well you execute it," he said.
Meanwhile, Clint Hassan, Department of Agriculture's (DA) director for information and communications technology service, said the integration of new forms of technology, especially those on information and communication tchnology, are already part of the agency's roadmap for the agricultural sector of the country.
He said they have some 20 information technology (IT) initiatives laid out for 2018 to 2020. Thees initiatives have already been presented to the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the National Economic and Development Authority. A budget for these projects has also been allotted already.
Hassan said the IT sector has the power to help improve the food yield in the country.
Meanwhile, in a bid to tap into the potentials of youth in helping improve the agricultural sector of the country, TechUp Pilipinas and UnionBank led the staging of TechUp Pilipinas Agri Summit and UnionBank's Hackathon on August 25 to 26 at Events @ Enderun, Azuela Cove, Davao City.
"We are amazed by the creativity, collective intelligence, and ability of the youth to innovate...they bring with them a desire to make a difference," said Michelle Rubio, Director of Human Resources.
She said with the problems being faced in the agricultural sector, the creativity of the youth can develop solutions to the problems pressing the agriculture sector.
The two-day hackathon is part of UnionBank's series, which challenges developers to identify problems within the agriculture industry and find tech-based solutions for the issues.
“We want to encourage the youth to become involved in creating innovations for this aging industry through technology, and by doing so, make it possible for younger generations to view this industry as a profitable one now and in the future," Rubio said.
The TechUp Agri series of events includes conferences, hackathons, and a pitchfest in Davao, Iloilo, and Manila leading up to the ASEAN Agri Summit in October 2018. (With PR)