A student-developed mobile app in the Philippines aims to reduce agricultural losses using AI-powered farm risk monitoring.
AGRICONNECT PH, developed by 22-year-old Aldrin “Soj” Gamayon, is designed to help farmers discover early signs of crop stress before visible damage sets in.
Gamayon, a fourth-year Communications Technology Management student at Ateneo de Manila University, got the inspiration for the app from personal experience and an overseas internship. Coming from a farming family, he witnessed first hand the difficulties that farmers, particularly his uncles, faced with managing unpredictable weather and crops’ pests.
He noted that many farmers rely on visual cues and experience when assessing crop health, which can mean only limited responses are available to farmers, and even than, only after visible damage or change occurs. According to research, once yellowing or other signs appear on a plant, only around 30% of a crop’s value can be typically salvaged. In contrast, AGRICONNECT’s early-detection system aims to assist farmers protect up to 90% of their yields by identifying issues sooner.
The app uses soil-embedded smart sensors placed at various points across a plot of land to monitor key variables like soil moisture, water levels, and pest activity. The collected data is fed into an AI system, which analyses field conditions and sends alerts to farmers to help them make timely decisions.
To make the output easier to interpret, the app is designed around a simple stoplight system. A red signal indicates urgent action is needed in 12 to 24 hours, yellow advises caution, and green reflects good conditions.
“We do acknowledge that farmers and agribusiness owners aren’t really the most technical people,” Gamayon explained in an interview with BusinessWorld. “We’re kind of using a very universal concept so that they don’t really need to understand the tech; they just need to know exactly what to do about the information.”
Agricultural damage in the Philippines reached a value of nearly ₱58 billion (US$1.01billion) in 2024, according to government data. Droughts, typhoons, and plant diseases continue to have an influence on yields across the country.
Gamayon hopes that AGRICONNECT will serve as a practical tool in responding to crop risks. The app is set to launch in 2026, with a broader aim of reaching one million farmers by 2030.
While the app is still in development, it has gained early recognition. AGRICONNECT was a winner in the Red Bull Basement competition, which supports student-led innovation projects, and the initiative is also receiving support from global organisations including Microsoft, Plug and Play, and Ateneo Blue Nest.
Gamayon sees AGRICONNECT not as a substitute for traditional farming knowledge, but as a complement to it. “We envision ourselves more as an ally and as a partner of farmers rather than a replacement as others would claim,” he said.
(Image by Pixabay)
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