CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – To enhance dynamism and efficiency in implementing Farm-to-Market Road (FMR) projects, the Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10 (DA-RFO 10) through its Regional Agricultural Engineering Division (RAED), spearheaded the FMR Network Planning on September 19-22, in this city

The activity was conducted in consonance with Joint Administrative Order No. 1, series of 2023, which mandated government agencies implementing FMR projects – DA, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Tourism (DOT), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), to work in convergence for the formulation, implementation, and updating of the National Network of FMRs.

In partnership with the Bureau of Agricultural and Fisheries Engineering (BAFE), DA-RFO 10 through Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado convened its partner agencies and stakeholders for a multilateral dialogue on the regional FMR road map.

Essentially, the planning workshop is an avenue to apprise the city and municipal agriculturists, agricultural biosystem engineers, and the DPWH district engineers on GEOAGRI.

The GEOAGRI is a web-based Management Information System portal jointly developed by BAFE and Caraga State University to consolidate, store/manage, process, and analyze data of FMR projects implemented by National Government Agencies (NGAs) and Local Government Units (LGUs).

As advanced by BAFE, the system is part of the government’s effort to promote transparency, maximize resource allocation, and minimize duplication and overlapping of FMR projects.

FMRs have been regarded as imperative interventions to address agricultural supply chain problems by connecting production areas to markets.

This enables farmers and fishers to broaden their reach and command better prices for their products.

In her message, DA- RFO 10 Regional Technical Director for Operations, Carlota S. Madriaga DA, LGUs, and DPWH to come to a consensus in crafting remedial measures to address challenges encountered on the ground, for effective FMR implementation in the region.

Since 2015, DA-RFO 10 appropriated P4.56 billion in funds for the implementation of 452 FMR projects across the five provinces in Northern Mindanao, in partnership with DPWH and the LGUs.

Criteria such as estimated road influence area, number of farmers/fisherfolk beneficiaries, agricultural potential indicators, present road condition, climate change adaptation, and average daily traffic are determinants in prioritizing and funding FMR projects.

In support of the FMR implementation and monitoring activities in the region, BAFE turned over two laptop and mobile phone units to DA-RFO 10 RAED during the planning workshop.# (ATTalib)