A joint consultation was conducted on March 14, 2023 between the Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Agricultural and Fisheries Engineering (DA-BAFE) and the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) with the goal of collaborating on a satellite-based research project. The project focuses on mapping agricultural crops and farm-to-market roads (FMRs) throughout the Philippines, with the aim of improving monitoring and management techniques.

PhilSA and BAFE are set to enter into a collaborative research agreement, for which PhilSA will be the one to provide the preliminary model. The proposed date for this event is April 28th. The three main commodities that have been mutually decided to focus on are Corn, Onion, and FMR.

Additionally, Region 3 has been designated as the focus area, with individual geographic sites specifically selected for each commodity. Corn will be cultivated either in Pampanga (Central Luzon) or Isabela (in Region 2) while onion will be grown in Gabaldon, Nueva Ecija, and FMRs will be constructed in either Pampanga or Nueva Ecija.

The Regional Agri Engineering Division (RAED) will provide help in carrying out the process of verifying ground realities through BAFE. Furthermore, the Project Concept will be formulated by PhilSA as a fifth step. The next meeting between the two agencies is tentatively scheduled to take place during the first week of May at the BAFE office.

In June’s initial or second week, a Regional Workshop/Training will take place, financially supported by BAFE. The outcome of this collaborative effort will significantly benefit crop monitoring using satellite imagery and the potential research it could produce.