Groundbreaking of the farm-to-market road in Jaro, Leyte
The Rural Agro-Enterprise Partnership for Inclusive Development and Growth (RAPID Growth) Project, an investment project of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), launched three (3) farm-to-market road rehabilitation sub-projects early this year, alongside with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) as the overall chair, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) as technical support, and the Local Government Units of Leyte, Bukidnon, and Kapalong as implementers.
A two-kilometer proposed farm-to-market road rehabilitation in Brgy. Tinambacan, Jaro, Leyte is the first for RAPID which launched in May 30, 2022. Second is the improvement of a 3.4 kilometer farm-to-market road in Kaatuan, Lantapan, Bukidnon, which launched in June 17, 2022. Third is the 2.7 kilometer farm-to-market road in Kapalong, Davao del Norte, which stretches from New Agno, Brgy. Mabantao (Purok Sampalok), to Mabuhay (Purok 6A), Brgy. Capungagan, launched in June 20, 2022.
These milestones are early gains from one of RAPID’s expected outcomes – that SMEs secure the necessary access to producers, markets and suitable investment finance, under the Project’s Farm-to-Market Infrastructure (FMI) service sub-component. As part of the Project’s holistic approach in providing the necessary services to the entire value chain (of Cacao, Coffee, Coconut and processed fruits and nuts), such as providing direct assistance to enterprises, the FMI serves as a conduit in linking MSMEs and large firms as markets to farmers as producers, and in the process, create opportunities for increased income and job generation among farming households and communities.
What is significant about these FMI sub-projects is its strategic importance, as not only providing access and serving the needs of production areas, but also to the rest of agricultural value chain consisting of Farmers’ Organizations and MSMEs that can be buyers, processors, traders, and consolidators, and other VC actors, as well as to the larger community that can benefit from the rehabilitation of these roads.
These roads undergone a thorough review and evaluation process by the RTWG-FMI and selected based on the following considerations: critical role to its linkage to production areas, identified and prioritized under RAPID’s Detailed Investment Plans where the local government has financial capability to put up a 5% counterpart fund, technical capability to oversee the project implementation, conduct the required engineering surveys, preparation of DED, Plans and Program of Work.
Currently, RAPID is expected to expand its reach in 8 more FMI sub-projects soon, spread in all 7 regions (Regions 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, Caraga and BARMM) where the Project operates, leading the road to recovery in selected farming communities.
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