The government is seeking additional overseas funding to construct more farm-to-market roads (FMR) to boost local food production.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. on Monday ordered the Department of Agriculture (DA) during his meeting with its personnel to create a FMR master plan, which aims to provide access roads in identified priority farmlands.
“FMR is the first step to solve some of the supply chain problems. So let us prioritize those who are producing these [food items],” Marcos said in mixed Filipino and English.
The plan, the concurrent Agriculture Secretary said, should also include funding source, payment terms, as well as the time frame for project completion.
“The President also wants official development assistance-funded (ODA) projects to be constructed in priority areas identified by the government,” Malacañang said in a statement.
As for locally funded FMR, he said DA and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to construct FMR projects.
He said he wants FMRs to be built in areas that are not prone to landslides and other calamities.
Aside from FMR, Marcos said he wants DA to streamline its operations through rightsizing measures.
“I have asked all of the department secretaries to do the same thing for their departments. So seeing as I am now holding the portfolio of Secretary of Agriculture, we also have to do it in our department,” Marcos said.
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