EXPLAINER: What are farm-to-market roads?

Farm-to-market roads (FMRs) are roads which link the agriculture and fisheries production sites, coastal landing points, and post-harvest facilities to market and arterial roads and highways.

As stated in Section 4 of Republic Act No. 8435 or the "Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act of 1997,'' these FMRs are commonly local roads, including provincial, city, municipal, and barangay roads.

These FMRs are believed to have a huge impact on transport costs of local farmers as good roads close to farms will lower production costs and eventually raise the prices that farmers get for their crops.

President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. earlier announced that the government will lower the costs of the FMR roads for 2026, following the revelation that there were “ghost” and overpriced projects in the previous years.

The standard cost for FMRs, as set by the Department of Public Works and Highways, is typically at P15,000 per meter, and could even go as low as P10,000 per meter.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has created a watchdog that will guarantee the responsible implementation of these farm-to-market roads. 

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the recent controversy surrounding flood control projects underscores why the agency needs a strong safeguards system on FMRs.

For fiscal year 2026, the P33-billion budget proposed under the DA for the rehabilitation, repair and construction of FMRs hurdled the bicameral conference committee on Saturday.

But before securing the nod of the panel, senators and congressmen argued over the massive leap from the P16-billion budget for FMRs in the National Expenditure Program. 

It was the House contingent that first sought to adjust the proposed FMR budget to P32 billion. 

Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson meanwhile, in a statement on Sunday, said he will not sign the proposed 2026 budget with P33 billion allotted for "unplanned and unvetted" FMRs.

"Sorry, unless rectified in its final version, I cannot sign to ratify a bicam report with P51 billion for MAIFIP [Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients], with nothing but guarantee letters from politicians and is not compliant with the Universal Health Care Act. Further, I will not associate myself with the P33-billion spending for unplanned and unvetted farm-to-market roads," said Lacson, an eagle-eyed watchdog of the national budget.

To recall, it was in November when the DA had flagged eight “missing” FMRs in Davao Occidental, amounting to some P100 million which were funded from 2021 to 2023 but were never built, according to an initial audit report. —KG, GMA Integrated News