THE ISABELA State University has entered into an agreement with the Universal Leaf Philippines Inc. and the Department of Science and Technology for the establishment of programs that would boost Smart Farming and Disaster Management in Cagayan Valley.

ISU announced the pact on Wednesday during the virtual Smarter Science and Technology Innovation Tour.

The research and development project aims to address flooding and drought and empower tobacco farmers in Cagayan.

“The collaborative undertaking highlights the joint R&D to address flooding and drought problems in the region,” ISU said on Facebook.

“It will also advance precision farming technologies and techniques with focus on tobacco-based farming systems, and agricultural machinery for farm mechanization,” it added.

ISU and ULPI met in January to discuss “advance hydrological forecasting and flood monitoring toward resilient and productive agriculture” in several areas in Isabela.