The production of bananas in Aguinaldo town in Ifugao province will get a boost with the construction of a farm-to-market road (FMR) worth PHP246 million, the regional agriculture office said Thursday.

“The project will address the basic problems on accessibility, reducing post-harvest losses and travel time, and it will also boost the cardava banana production, especially within the road’s influence area,” director of the Department of Agriculture (DA) – Cordillera and chairperson of the DA’s Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) – Cordillera, Dr. Cameron Odesy, said in a phone interview.

Odsey said the FMR, which broke ground on October 27 and is expected to be completed in October 2023, would also serve as an alternative route to and from the nearby municipalities, including Alfonso Lista in Ifugao and Paracelis in Mountain Province.

The 8.39-km. road improvement of the Ubao-Manaot FMR, which covers barangays Ubao and Monggayang, will benefit about 446 households within its influence area.

It is Aguinaldo town’s first subproject under the PRDP-Cordillera.

Odsey said the collective support given by all leaders, officials, and the community to the approval and implementation of the FMR subproject would spur development in the area.

He urged all the stakeholders to help assure that the project would be completed and of good quality.

“The project will soon contribute not only to the development of the agriculture industry but the locality as a whole,” he added.

Aguinaldo Mayor Gaspar Chilagan, during the project’s groundbreaking rites, said the FMR subproject is historic because it is rooted in sacrifices, efforts, and cooperation.

“This is the biggest project from the national government that was given to this municipality through the DA-PRDP, and your full support is needed in this pursuit,” Chilagan said. (PNA)