MORE than 1,000 residents, including members of 251 indigenous households and 192 farming families, are seen to benefit from a P310.9-million road connecting vegetable and coffee farms in Kayapa, Nueva Vizcaya to markets.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) said Sunday that construction of the 10.86-kilometer Pangawan-Banao farm-to-market road began following a groundbreaking ceremony on Sept. 24.
The road is expected to cut travel time and transport losses by 50 percent, hauling costs by 25 percent, and farm input costs by 17 percent.
Funded under the World Bank-supported Philippine Rural Development Project Scale-Up, the initiative will improve access to 4,191 hectares of farms planted with high-value vegetables and coffee.
It also aims to expand tomato production areas by 2 percent and coffee-growing areas by 1 percent annually.
The project is financed by a P248.7-million World Bank loan, with the national and local governments each contributing P31.1 million.
“By connecting remote farms to commercial hubs, we can reduce production and transport costs, help lower food prices and support sustainable rural development,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said.
Agriculture Undersecretary Arrey Perez led the groundbreaking ceremony with Nueva Vizcaya Rep. Timothy Joseph Cayton, Gov. Jose Gambito and Kayapa Mayor Elizabeth Balasya.
