News Details

DA to unveil digital Command Center for smarter food supply management

NPO

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August 26, 2025

MANILA, PHILIPPINES-The Department of Agriculture (DA) will soft-launch its Command Center in November—a digital hub designed to enable data-driven decision-making and improve management of the country’s food supply chain, Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. announced.

“When I accepted this Cabinet portfolio, my thinking was ‘produce, produce, produce.’ Nearly two years into the job, I’ve realized that an equally important mantra is ‘manage, manage, manage,’” Laurel said, highlighting the agency’s shift toward precision and efficiency.

Powered primarily by the Bureau of Plant Industry’s Osiris system, the Command Center will first focus on the rice value chain—an essential but highly volatile staple in the Philippines. Rice price fluctuations, he noted, can significantly impact inflation and broader economic stability.

The center will consolidate and analyze data on production, imports, stock levels, product types, supply movements, wholesale and retail prices, consumption rates, infrastructure, irrigation coverage, spoilage, and global market trends.

“The DA already has most of these data, but they are scattered across different agencies. We must integrate them, analyze them properly, and gather missing information so we can allocate our limited resources more effectively,” Laurel explained.

Recent rice imports in April and May reached 970,000 metric tons—well above the country’s monthly consumption of around 320,000 metric tons—driving down palay prices and prompting President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to suspend rice importation for two months starting September 1.

According to Laurel, sharper supply-and-demand forecasting through the Command Center—alongside the proposed restoration of regulatory powers over the rice sector to the DA and the National Food Authority via amendments to the Rice Tariffication Law—will help stabilize prices, shield farmers from losses, and provide predictability to the market.

Beyond rice, the Command Center model will be rolled out to other vital sectors, including high-value crops, livestock, poultry, and fisheries. It will also oversee the registration of food facilities and warehouses nationwide, tracking both cold and dry storage capacities—an essential step toward President Marcos’ vision of modernized agriculture and long-term food security.

— NPO News Team | DA-PR