The government has constructed more than 660 km. of farm-to-market roads (FTMR) in the country, benefitting farmers, fisherfolk and consumers, a ranking official of the Department of Agriculture (DA) said Tuesday. ‘This is very important. It has already been mentioned that we need connectivity (construction of FTMR), especially in rural areas that are really far from urban cities and consumers where products are needed,’ DA Undersecretary Mercedita Sombilla said at the Post-State of the Nation Address (SONA) Discussions held at the Hilton Hotel in Pasay City. ‘To farmers, this would mean easier for them to transport their produce, which will give them, encourage them to diversify their production… It’s going to be easier now for these products to reach the consumer in the urban areas in the cities, even town centers.’ Sombilla said the construction of FTMR also means more income to farmers and fisherfolk. ‘More diversified, less cost in traveling, in moving this produce to market centers, will mean greater incomes to the farmers so that is the main reason for the importance in really putting up this farm-to-market roads,’ she said. Sombilla noted that these would connect them to processing centers and even to the ports for export goods. ‘Result to higher income, and greater business opportunities to farmers, more livelihood for them, because then agribusiness related industries can grow and it means more employment also in rural areas,’ she said. ‘It will not only benefit farmers and fisher folks but also the people from rural areas as it will be easier for them to access health services and other social services. Faster time and lesser cost so it really means a whole welfare of the society you know will be benefitted by this enhanced connectivity.’ Sombilla said aside from the FTMR, they have also constructed 670 lineal meters of bridges. At the same time, she reported that a total of 64,156 km. of FTMR still need to be constructed. ‘The FTMR is really rural community empowerment,’ she said. Sombilla also discussed the Philippine Food Chain Logistics Master Plan with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), which would identify the specific interventions that are going to be needed to enhance the agricultural sector. ‘Where these logistics and facilities are going to be strategically provided and where are we going to get investments to make all these things happen,’ she added

Source: Philippines News Agency