For generations, agriculture has been in a shady situation: while farmers exhaust themselves day and night to feed the nation, they often are the ones who suffer most to put food on their own tables. Indeed, many local farmers, particularly in Baybay City, Leyte, face the same challenges, compounded by other external factors that affect the quality of their harvest. Meanwhile, the same bottleneck affects the food industry, which has difficulty buying fresh, high-quality produce at stable, fair prices.

A team from Visayas State University (VSU) started a project to connect farmers and consumers using digital technology. The project, entitled “Farm2Table: A Management Information System for Farmers and Business Establishments in Baybay City, Leyte ”  aims to create a mobile-based system and e-commerce platform for Baybayani Agriventures Inc.

Baybayani Agriventures Inc. is a corporation whose members are accredited farmers from Baybay City and was established through the efforts of the LGU of Baybay City, Leyte headed by Hon. Jose Carlos L. Cari. This corporation aims to support the local farmers in the municipality by selling their agricultural products at a fair market price. The application was developed by Bern Vein Balermo, a BSCS undergraduate student under the supervision of his thesis adviser, Mr. Nelson H. Tejara.

The system will help with record-keeping, reporting, and data management for the corporation and allow buyers to order online and arrange pickup or delivery for their business partners. The web application can be accessed initially from this link (https://baybayani-baybay.vercel.app/), while the mobile application can be downloaded from this link (https://github.com/BernVein/Baybayani-Baybay/releases/download/v1.0/Baybayani.apk).

The project is led by Nelson H. Tejara and was co-implemented by  Rodney Maniego Jr., Jude B. Rola, Jonah Flor O. Maaghop, Magdalene C. Unajan, Jomari Joseph A. Barera, and Bern Vein Balermo in partnership with Baybayani Agriventures Inc. and the LGU of Baybay City, Leyte. The team wanted to enhance the record-keeping processes of the corporation and to provide a convenient way to place orders among its customers and business partners.

Before its implementation, the research team conducted surveys among the members of the corporation and food business establishments in Poblacion, Baybay City, Leyte. The results showed that farmers have one to five years of experience and most grow eggplant, string beans, and cucumber. They face challenges like pest infestations, diseases, and limited market access. Business establishments reported challenges like prices, inconsistent product availability, and quality concerns.

To ensure the platform meets users’ needs, the team adopted a user-centered approach where the team presented the project to the members of the corporation in order to obtain their feedback. The feedback was then used to further improve the application in order to incorporate the features that they wanted to become part of the application. The project will also include training workshops, technical assistance, and continuous monitoring. By performing these activities, it will help users effectively utilize the system. The team will evaluate the system’s effectiveness by measuring its functional suitability, performance efficiency, interaction capability, reliability and security using a survey questionnaire based on the ISO 25010 standard.

The Farm2Table project shows how digital innovation can address longstanding challenges. By connecting farmers’ organizations with business establishments, the project aims to reduce supply chain inefficiencies, improve market access, minimize food waste and enhance income opportunities for local producers.

This initiative highlights the growing role of information technology in transforming systems. Solutions like Farm2Table can empower farmers, strengthen economies, and contribute to more resilient food systems.

Through the leadership of Nelson H. Tejara and his fellow researchers at Visayas State University, with the support of Baybayani Agriventures, Inc. and the LGU of Baybay City, Leyte, headed by Hon. Jose Carlos L. Cari, the Farm2Table project presents a step toward a future where technology and agriculture work together to create opportunities to improve livelihoods and support sustainable development.