SOME BARANGAYS of Corella, Anda, Carmen, Sevilla, Lila, Loay, Loboc, Valencia and Sagbayan would be lucky this year as the Department of Agriculture spares P47M for their farm-to-market roads (FMRs).

Seen as an apparent government attempt motivate farmers to attain more than the 105% rice sufficiency level, the FMR would also be crucial in cutting farmer’s losses especially when they start transporting goods to the markets.

According to reports from the DA Regional Office, through acting director Ricardo D. Oblena, the DA hopes to implement all the P47M this year as they expect this development greatly benefits Bohol rice farmers.

In fact, the government is engaged in two-pronged agriculture sector infrastructure spending: to motivate farmers to raise productivity levels and to spur people to get jobs and capacitate them to earn, sheltering them from the fall-outs of a global economic meltdown.

The amount however is lower than what the government agriculture agency has sowed last year.

Oblena shared to the media about the P65M worth of crucial farm roads implemented all over the three districts of Bohol last year.

Some P22M worth of projects were implemented last year in Bohol’s first district alone, and these farm access routes include the towns of Balilihan, Catigbian, Tubigon, Dauis and Panglao.

In the second district, P15M worth of road rehabilitation and developments were implemented in Ubay and Trinidad.

The third district on the other hand implemented P28.565M in projects covering Anda, Carmen, Dimiao, Loboc, Valencia and Sierra Bullones.

This year, the DA also hopes the projects would be effectively implemented as they hope the mentioned local government units would be able to put up the counterpart funds.

Success in the implementation of the farm to market roads is dependent on the willingness and the capability or local government units to source out counterpart funds for the projects, Oblena said. (rachiu/PIA)