DA seeks foreign funding for key agriculture infrastructure projects

MANILA, Philippines —  The Department of Agriculture (DA) is now aggressively pursuing foreign funding to fast-track the construction and completion of key infrastructure projects that would uplift farmers’ welfare and reduce food costs.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the government has limited resources to undertake major projects such as seaports, roads and bridges, and irrigation that are needed to modernize agriculture and improve the income of farmers and fishermen.

Tiu Laurel has been emphasizing that the country has a 27-year investment backlog in the agriculture sector.

“Your department is working at finding other funding sources from official development partners to implement necessary and relevant interventions needed to address critical sectoral and institutional challenges and investment gaps,” he said.

For example, Tiu Laurel disclosed that the farm-to-market roads and bridges projects of the government has been proposed to the French government.

The proposal involves improving the infrastructure linking farm production sites, fisheries, coastal landing points and post-harvest facilities to markets and major highways.

“The project will also facilitate trade to ensure smooth and efficient movement of agricultural products to reduce trade barriers and develop a more effective value chain for food and agricultural commodities to ensure they reach their destinations more efficiently,” the agriculture chief said.

Tiu Laurel said the DA is also proposing a project under the World Bank’s Program for Results, or P4R, that would provide incremental funding to accelerate the department’s initiatives and enhance the impact of its various programs.

The World Bank’s P4R approach uses government systems and procedures rather than the bank’s, streamlining the process and focusing on tangible results, Tiu Laurel added.

“P4R project is part of the World Bank’s strategy to expand the impact of development interventions through a results-oriented approach,” he said.