Quezon City | November 18, 2024 – The Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA), together with the Department of Agriculture-National Rice Program (DA-NRP), promoted precision agriculture through the Drones4Rice project, emphasizing its benefits for rice farmers and the need to regulate drone activities, in a press conference held at the PIA Auditorium on November 15, 2024.
Dir. Glenn DC. Estrada, Program Director of the Digitalization and Value Chain Development, Masagana Rice Industry Development Program, Department of Agriculture, explained that the initiative aims to empower rice farmers through subsidized access to drone services. He emphasized that beneficiaries would receive vouchers worth Php 2,000 per hectare for the full drone-assisted farming operations, from pre-flight planning, crop establishment, nutrient management, and pest and disease control.
“The NRP allotted about 300 million pesos to support the commercial application of drones. It primarily caters to organized groups such as rice clusters, Irrigators’ Associations (IAs), Farmers’ Cooperatives and Associations (FCAs), Small Water Irrigation System Associations (SWISAs), and Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Organizations (ARBOs),” Dir. Estrada noted.
He clarified that while DA-NRP would not purchase drones directly, the program would ensure farmers can access these services through a voucher system.
On the other hand, Dir. Julieta B, Lansangan, Executive Director of the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA), discussed the role of FPA in the Drones4Rice project, emphasizing the agency’s duty to develop protocols and regulate drone use in agriculture.
“Bakit kailangan i-regulate? Pwede po kasing gamitin ang drone for terrorism activities, so yung mga gagamit dapat ng drone for agricultural use, kailangan silang maregulate,” Dir. Lansangan explained.
She also added that regulating drone operations in agriculture ensures the safety of users, consumers, and the environment, along with the proper application of agricultural inputs.
“With the spraying of pesticides using application drone, there is a need for regulation para makita yung effectivity ng produkto. Kaakibat din nito ang pagsiguro sa safety ng user at ng applicator, the community, the crops and consumer, the environment. As we go along, we develop new application technology also,” she said.
Both agencies encouraged public support for the Drones4Rice project, emphasizing its potential to boost agricultural innovation, reduce production costs, and enhance sustainability in the rice farming sector.###
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Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA) Online ISSN: 2815-1674
Published by the FPA Information and Communications Team
