The Department of Agriculture (DA) Western Visayas and Iloilo Science and Technology University (ISAT-U) have joined forces to advance digitalization in agriculture. A Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was signed on November 19 by DA Regional Executive Director Dennis Arpia and ISAT-U President Dr. Gabriel M. Salistre Jr. to establish the DA Virtual Hub for Agricultural Supply Chain Development and Market Connectivity.
The DA Virtual Hub aims to revolutionize agricultural operations through blockchain technology and data analytics, addressing challenges faced by micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and farmers’ cooperatives. The hub integrates e-commerce platforms with real-time data to streamline supply chains, enhance market accessibility, and promote transparency. Key features include role-based dashboards, databasing, and mapping tools to monitor production and analyze consumer trends effectively.
The platform also links existing government systems such as price monitoring databases and harvest projections, enabling farmers’ organizations to directly sell their products to institutional markets. “This initiative ensures real-time production assessment, preventing farmers from suffering losses despite high yields,” Director Arpia emphasized.
ISAT-U supports the project with its research on decentralized e-commerce, empowering MSMEs through blockchain and data analytics. Dr. Salistre underscored the importance of innovation in addressing agricultural challenges, while Director Arpia highlighted the project’s potential to serve as a model for other regions.
Project leaders James Daniel Gregori (DA) and Rayjand Gelamucho (ISAT-U) spearhead the initiative, with DA senior agriculturist Clark Melendres and ISAT-U Vice President for Research and Extension Dr. Carmelo Ambut overseeing its development.
The virtual hub is funded jointly by both institutions and will cover web development, hosting, and stakeholder engagement, aiming for full operationalization soon. (via DA-6)
