DA to launch Command Center in November

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is set to soft launch its Command Center in November, a digital hub designed to centralize data and strengthen management of the country's food supply.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. stated the system will initially focus on the rice value chain, describing the staple as both "essential" and "challenging" to manage.

The Command Center will consolidate data on production, imports, stock levels, classifications, wholesale and retail prices, consumption rates, infrastructure, irrigation coverage, spoilage, and global market trends.

Secretary Laurel explained that the DA already possesses most of this data, but it is scattered across various agencies, necessitating consolidation and the gathering of additional information to improve resource efficiency.

Trade data for the facility will primarily come from the Bureau of Plant Industry's Osiris system.

The DA noted that rice imports in April and May reached 970,000 metric tons, significantly exceeding the country's monthly average consumption of 320,000 MT.

This surplus led to a decrease in farmgate palay prices, prompting President Marcos to suspend rice importation for two months starting September 1.