P9-B farm roads to cut agri costs

The government is rolling out P9.06 billion worth of farm-to-market roads across Luzon to cut transport costs and improve farmers’ access to buyers.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) signed an agreement to build 605 farm-to-market road projects spanning a combined 604 kilometers.

The projects will cover 26 provinces across the Cordillera Administrative Region and Regions I, II, III and IV-A, including major production areas for palay, vegetables, fruits, livestock and other agricultural commodities.

According to the Agriculture Department, the improved road connectivity is expected to lower hauling expenses and make it easier to move farm inputs such as seeds and fertilizer into production areas while bringing agricultural products to traders, processors and markets.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said Tuesday that accelerating the development of the country’s farm-to-market road network could help raise farmers’ incomes while reducing the cost of transporting both agricultural inputs and produce.

Better connectivity could also widen farmers’ access to buyers and allow agricultural communities to participate in larger markets.

Poor road conditions have long added to hauling costs and complicated the movement of agricultural products, potentially limiting the gains farmers receive from higher production.

DA Undersecretary Arrey A. Perez said the projects mark an important step toward improving the movement of agricultural products and strengthening links between farmers and markets.

The P9.06-billion package forms part of the government’s broader farm-to-market road program.

Under this year’s national budget, the wider program is designed to finance more than 1,600 projects covering around 2,200 kilometers of rural roads nationwide.

The government is also using infrastructure monitoring mechanisms and a digital portal to track implementation as projects move from planning to construction.

Apart from lowering logistics costs, the road investments are intended to improve connections among farmers, traders, processors and consumers, allowing producers to participate more effectively in the agricultural value chain.