Proposed farm-to-market roads budget for 2018 hiked to P20 B

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Agriculture (DA) is seeking a P20-billion allocation for the implementation of its farm-to-market roads project next year to help farmers link their produce to the consumers more effectively.

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said he would talk to members of the Congress to hike the approved P6 billion budget for FMR to at least P20 billion for 2018.

“I’m asking for at least no less than P20 billion and that would mean 2,000 kilometers of roads. And we have a backlog of 13,000 kilometers and that is a lot of roads,” Piñol said in a briefing yesterday.

“There will still be around 11,000 kilometers left, I will be able to do around 2,700 km per year in four years. By 2019, we want the DA to also have the Build Build Build for FMR because what’s the use of big roads if there are no smaller ones that will allow farmers to bring their products to the market,” he added.

The agri chief is also asking the Department of Budget and Management to rationalize the FMR programs of various agencies such as the Philippine Coconut Authority, Department of Agrarian Reform, Department of Interior and Local Government, National Irrigation Administration and Sugar Regulatory Administration, among others.

“I requested the DBM and also Sen. Loren Legarda to rationalize the FMR program for us to have one single network and a well-coordinated implementation of the program,” he said.

“If it is scattered and a lot are implementing the rural road program, it might not really complete the network of rural roads all over the country. And it will also save the government money and create a more rational planning,” Piñol added.

After failing to get its proposed P213-billion budget next year, Piñol is settling for an P80-billion allocation for 2018 to boost the country’s farm sector.

To recall, the DBM only approved P36.4 billion for the first tier of the budget.

This is 21 percent lower than its 2017 budget allocation of P46 billion, which was also cut from P54 billion in 2016 due to the agency’s  underspending.

Piñol has been pushing for a higher allocation, saying a possible budget cut for 2018 would likely affect productivity and delay the government’s efforts to achieve rice self-sufficiency in three years.