3 Cebu towns to get P500M agri projects

Around  P500 million worth of agricultural projects will be poured by the national government in three storm-hit towns in north Cebu as part of the Philippine Rural Development Program (PRDP).

A huge chunk of the fund will be used to construct 20 kilometers of farm-to-market roads in  Bogo City and the towns of San Remigio and Daanbantayan, said Provincial Agriculturist Roldan Saragena.

The establishment of roads in these production areas will help local farmers save up on transportation expenses given the amount they spend on bringing their products to the town or city center, he said.

He added that the decrease in post-harvest losses of the farmers will equate to lower market prices.

“It has a very huge impact on the pricing of the products. As of present, they spend a lot on transporting their products to let’s say, Carbon Market. If there’s a road, then the middlemen can go to them instead. Accessible na,” said Saragena adding that the road will also give way to other economic activities.

The three local government units (LGUs) were chosen as beneficiaries of the PRDP since these were “priority production areas.”

The PRDP is a multi-million dollar project of the national government through the Department of Agriculture (DA) and is funded by the World Bank through a $508.25-million loan and grant package.

The project also covers implementation of rural infrastructure and livelihood projects for farmers and fisherfolk in the country such as roads, bridges, tire tracks, irrigation systems, among others.

In an interview yesterday, Saragena said the province only needs to receive the approval of World Bank representatives for the project’s feasibility studies.

As counterpart, the province will shoulder 10 percent of the amount or P50 million.

Aside from the PRDP funds, he said the Capitol has also set aside more than P30 million this year and in 2015 for the contruction of farm-to-market roads in Camotes Island.