The Department of Agrarian Reform and the local government of Sallapadan in Abra province inaugurated a P63.8 farm-to-market road Monday to improve market access for more than 1,000 farmers in the region.

The 1.85-kilometer concrete road connects Sallapadan Barrio and Ud-udiao. The project includes a box culvert and slope protection structures designed to ensure safe transport during the rainy season.

Provincial Agrarian Reform program officer Mercedes Borongan said the infrastructure is critical for empowering agrarian reform beneficiaries by reducing transportation costs and post-harvest losses.

“This farm-to-market road opens doors to better opportunities,” Borongan said. “By improving access to markets and services, we help farmers increase productivity, reduce costs, and improve their quality of life.”

The project benefits 1,072 farmers, including members of the Sallapadan Barrio Agriculture Cooperative and the UDNAMA Agriculture Credit Cooperative.

Previously, farmers struggled with difficult terrain that often damaged produce before it reached market centers.

Sallapadan Mayor Fernando Semanero Jr. cited that the road would provide long-term economic benefits by strengthening connections between remote barangays and local trade hubs.

The project was funded through DAR as part of a national effort to modernize agricultural infrastructure. DAR-Abra officials credited the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and DAR Secretary Conrado M. Estrella III for prioritizing rural development projects.