BAGUIO CITY – Officials of local government unit (LGU) in the Cordillera region have been advised by the Department of Agriculture-Cordillera (DA-CAR) to come up with or create feasible and doable plans, particularly of farm-to-market roads (FMRs) that will be included in the National Farm to Market Road Network Plan 2023-2028.
In the LGU workshop on the Localization of the National Farm to Market Roads Network Plan 2023-2028 held in Baguio City, DA Assistant Secretary for Logistics Daniel Atayde asserted the significance of the activity which is a collective effort that aims to re-shift the landscape of logistics and the infrastructure development, with logistics not to be underestimated.
The workshop seeks to plot and input farm-to-market road (FMR) proposals in the GeoAgri System. GeoAgri is an in-house web-based jointly developed by the Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Engineering (BAFE) Caraga State University (CSU) to consolidate the information on FMR projects and is envisioned to be the common portal for all government agencies and LGUs implementing FMRs.
“We observed that the transportation network constitutes the lifeblood of economic activity allowing products and services to move freely from the farm to market. However, it’s not surprising to learn and verify that there is a significant infrastructure gap which has frequently served as a bottleneck, restricting the flow of trade and impeding the growth of our farmers,” Atayde said.
The Assistant Secretary stated that by localizing the national plan, LGUs can adjust their aims and methods to meet the specific requirements and challenges of LGUs in CAR.
“Through this workshop, everyone’s insights, experiences, and proactive participation will give good results and tangible realities such as accessibilities and resilience to our rural road networks. This opportunity is one step toward ensuring no community is left behind,” Atayde added.
DA-CAR Regional Executive Director Atty. Jennilyn Dawayan explained that the department’s measure is to assist LGUs in creating FMR plans which will strengthen the capabilities of FMR formulation.
“If you want to fast-track the planning and programming process, we encourage local government units to come up with shovel-ready project [proposals, especially for Farm-to Market-Roads. Our entry points are the Provincial Agriculture for Extension Services wherein your farm-to market-road and farm irrigation projects will be included, your FMR Network Plan and Irrigation Network Plan,” Dawayan said. By JTLlanes
