By Katrina Gracia Consebido
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday, Dec. 6, said the joint administrative order (JAO) on farm-to-farm market roads (FMR) is set to be signed this month.
“FMR approved na. Mayroon na tayong national timetable,” Marcos said.
“Lahat ng agencies that are involved, departments that are involved will be signing… by December, before the end of the year, para ma-approve na ang plano para sa pag-construct ng FMR,” he added.
According to Marcos, the JAO on farm-to-market roads will create criteria for interconnecting FMRs with other infrastructure projects to improve service delivery and agricultural initiatives.
The JAO would establish FMRs and other infrastructure linkages between the Departments of Agriculture, Public Works and Highways, Interior and Local Government, Trade and Industry, and Tourism on finding and mapping agricultural and fisheries producing regions, markets, trade stations, current road networks and road conditions, as well as planned FMRs.
As of October this year, a total of 43,223.17 kilometers is proposed for FMR projects.
A total of 14 million hectares of production areas of agriculture and fisheries needs 131,410.66 kilometers (km) of land. As of October 2022, 67,255.46 FMR were already finished.
“But we are looking at all the technologies available, including biofertilizers, perhaps as an import substitute,” Marcos said. -gb
