A mobile application was developed to provide timely, reliable, and collaborative information on palay farmgate prices.
The Bantay Palay app works by collecting current palay price data from verified providers, analyzing, and processing them into a text message advisory that is sent to rice farmers listed in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture.
App developer Arturo Arocena of PhilRice said verified providers of price data include palay buyer agents, traders, millers, DA Regional Field Offices, local government units, private business, and PhilRice staffers.
“Data coming from these providers will be validated and verified to ensure their reliability before location-specific advisories are sent to its farmer-recipients,” Arocena qualified.
During the 2023 dry season Lakbay Palay in Nueva Ecija, PhilRice Deputy Executive Director for Research Eduardo Jimmy Quilang led the initial launch of the app. He said they aim to help farmers have better access to price information so that they can sell their produce strategically.
“By knowing current palay prices in their locality, farmers can opt to either sell their produce, store it and wait for better prices, or mill it as rice for higher income opportunity,” he explained.
Proponents of the Bantay Palay app are the Institute’s top officials Dr. John de Leon, Dr. Quilang, and Dr. Karen Eloisa Barroga. They received the Digirati Distinction Award given by the Asian Institute of Digital Transformation for this project.
