The Department of Agriculture (DA) through the Climate Resilient Agriculture Office (CRAO) has launched the updated version of its National Color-Coded Agricultural Guide (NCCAG) Map.
The map is expected to further help increase farmers’ productivity and income as a science-based decision-support tool.
The NCCAG map is a database of map overlays that shows the natural suitability of economically important crops and eight major hazards based on projected climate scenarios for 2050.
It overlays data on soil properties, elevation, slope, rainfall pattern, temperature and climate change-induced multi-hazards.
The database also features maps that are vital to crop growth and survivability such as water availability and climate data, as well as location-specific information on socio-economic conditions.
Alicia Ilaga, DA-CRAO director, said updating the NCCAG Map which was first activated and launched in 2017 is crucial to maintaining the system’s accuracy and reliability.
“The thematic datasets used in the NCCAG Map are obtained from different mapping source agencies, which generate new sets of data every five years. Updating the map ensures that all information remains accurate and up-to-date,” Ilaga said in a statement.
This initiative aligns with the DA-CRAO’s commitment to assist in providing valuable insights and facilitate well-informed planning and decision-making processes regarding agricultural suitability, climate hazards and land cover data, Ilaga added.
NCCAG’s latest version also features updated crop suitabilities and an additional crop, bringing the total number of economically important crops featured in the database from 20 to 21.
These are abaca, banana, cacao, cassava, coconut, coffee, corn, garlic/onion, legumes, mango, palm oil, papaya, pineapple, rice, rubber, sugarcane, sweet potato, taro, vegetables, yam and bamboo.
The updated version also introduces a new layer called Rice Suitability Zones, based on data from the Philippine Rice Information System, that identifies current and potential expansion areas for rice cultivation and provides information on soil properties vital to rice growth.
The latest version of the map also integrates the Climate Risk Vulnerability Assessment Maps of 63 provinces nationwide.
This allows users to choose from three distinct types of statistical data — crops suitability and multi-hazards, crops suitability and land cover, and multi-hazards — to provide a tailored and more user-friendly experience.
