Following the approval of a national timetable, farmers and fisherfolk set to benefit from the construction of farm-to-market roads (FMRs) will see progress again as government agencies are expected to sign a joint administrative order (JAO) within the month.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr., who also serves as the agriculture chief, assured that the country has a national timetable for the construction of FMRs.

"Mayro'n na tayong national timetable. Lahat ng agencies that are involved, lahat ng departments that are involved, will be signing an MOU by December, before the end of the year, para ma-approve na ang plano para sa pag-construct ng mga FMR (We already have a national timetable. All agencies that are involved, all departments that are involved, will be signing an MOU by December, before the end of the year, to get approval on our FMR construction plan)," he disclosed in an interview.

The FMRs connect agricultural and fisheries areas to markets, allowing producers to transport goods to traders and consumers with relative ease. With such, farmers and fisher folks will gain better prices and broader reach for their products.

"The JAO on farm-to-market roads will set up the guidelines to make all FMRs interconnected with other infrastructure projects to ensure efficiency in the delivery of services and enhance agricultural programs," according to DA.

The JAO, which will implement FMRs and other infrastructure connectivity, is between and among the DA, Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Trade and Industry, and Department of Tourism.

As of October this year, a total of 43,223.17 kilometers is proposed for FMR projects, it was revealed.

"There is a requirement of 131,410.66 km (110ha/km) of the country to cater to the 14 million hectares of production areas for agriculture and fisheries. As of October 2022, a total of 67,255.46 FMR were completed, leaving a backlog of 64,155.20 kilometers," the DA noted.

Meanwhile, the DA is also looking for fertilizer substitutes and other agricultural technologies that are available at the present.

"We are trying to find import substitution for urea and petroleum-based fertilizers and we are looking at all the technologies that are available, including biofertilizer, perhaps as an import substitute," Marcos said.