THE National Color-Coded Agriculture Guide (NACCAG) Map which the national government will be launching this month is seen to impact positively on the farmers in Negros.
Joyce Wendam, officer-in-charge of the Department of Agriculture - Negros Island Region (DA-NIR), yesterday said the program will complement the government’s initiatives to further improve agricultural productivity in the country.
Wendam said NACCAG Map is very important in terms of guiding the farmers on ensuring crop suitability by helping them identify what type of soil they have in their farms and what kind of crops are ideal.
Aside from crop suitability, Wendam said the program will also provide them vital information like soil nutrients as well as the climate risks and hazards that they must be prepared for.
“Through this program, investors will also be guided on where and what crop to invest,” she said, adding that “by ensuring crop suitability and risk resistance, farmers can surely lower their production wastage and increase input.”
Under the program, all the information would be accessible through smartphones and computers which DA is expected to distribute to the farmers and fisherfolk organizations in the country starting next year.
The NACCAG is part of the agency's Adaptation and Mitigation Initiatives in Agriculture (Amia) project mainly designed for climate change preparation.
Wendam said the president will also lead the unveiling of the website during the launching of the program.
Using the application, agricultural investors for instance , will only have to type name of the crop that they would like to invest in. It will then generate the list of areas where this could be grown ideally.
It will also provide regular weather updates to local farmers, Wendam said.
After the launching, seminars and workshops will also be conducted to equip farmers and fishermen with the skills and knowledge on how to access ans explore the application, she added.
