Abandoned Innovation! Color-Coded Agri Guide Map Needs Upgrade, Reactivation

A digital map which gives out color codes for farmers to be guided on what to plant in their farms based on soil and climate suitability which was crafted in 2017 needs to be reactivated and upgraded to contribute to agricultural modernization.
The National Color-Coded Agriculture Guide Map (www.farmersguidemap.da.gov.ph) was one of the innovations I introduced when I was Secretary of Agriculture.
It was a project which I conceptualized because of the realities I saw on the ground as a farm boy where farmers experimented on so many crops, suffering failures most of the time, simply because they were not given a guide on what crop was suitable in their farms based on the soil, climate, elevation and other factors.
Right after I took over the DA in June 2016, I directed the Bureau of Soil and Water Management and the Adaptation and Mitigation Initiative in Agriculture (AMIA), an office under the DA to craft a guide map with focus on Soil Analysis.
It was then when I found out that the last Soil Study conducted before the Duterte Presidency was about 40 years earlier.
In March 2017, less than a year after his assumption to the highest position of the land, President Rodrigo Duterte launched in Malacañang the Farmers Guide Map.
By simply clicking his Region, Province and Town, the Farmers Guide Map will come up with a list of crops to choose from.
Once the farmer clicks the crop, say Rice, the Map will come up with a Green Color which would cover all areas suitable for rice farming.
The Farmers Guide Map would have served as a source of data helpful to farmers like Soil Type in specific areas, weather updates, information on livestock, fisheries and crops and on-line active responders on problems confronting the agricultural producers.
When upgraded and made interactive, a goat raiser who faced health problems in his herd could have access to a government veterinarian on-line and get an assessment based on the video or pictures uploaded.
Farmers whose crops are affected by a disease which they could not identify could upload photos and videos and be provided with assessments and recommendations.
Sadly, the Program was not given much attention when I resigned and was never even upgraded to improve the services.
This is a very important program which I hope the Department of Agriculture today would reactivate and upgrade to assist our farmers.
#DigitalizingAgriculture!
(This image shows the map of my hometown, M’lang, which shows where Rice could be planted.)