Sultan Kudarat is primarily an agricultural province with rice, corn, coconut, coffee and bananas as some of its leading crops produced.

Behind this booming agricultural economy are hardworking farmers who are now enjoying the benefits of farm-to-market roads in the province.

Looking back a few years ago, before one of the first FMR’s was constructed in the Municipality of Isulan, farmers struggled to deliver their harvest to the market due to lack of accessible roads.

Punsay Angeles, one of the farmer beneficiaries of the 1.43 km FMR in Barangay Bual shared how their life was way back in 1976.

“When we moved here, this place was uninhabited due to the difficult road conditions and the lack of electricity. Since our livelihood was farming, we endured the situation and continued to reside here until such time that DA-PRDP partnered with our local government and implemented the FMR Project which is truly an answered prayer to all of us,” said Angeles.

Photo of Bual-Talitay Farm-to-Market Road before the concreting project of PRDP

The convenience in transportation also led to a decrease in the transportation cost of their products.

“Before, the road condition throughout the entire stretch of 1.4kms was really poor. From here, farmers would haul their produce to the road junction where vehicles could pass where they had to pay P25.00. So if they had100 bags, it would be really expensive,” said Teng Andal, a farmer in Brgy. Bual.  “With the new road, after the threshing they can transport their products directly to the market with the vehicles to enter. The project has a big help. We have a new road and now we also have electricity. Gradually people are returning here.”

Sultan Kudarat has  21 subprojects composed of 20 IBUILD SP’s and one (1) IREAP SP worth P1.269 billion under the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP).

Currently, there are 14 completed subprojects which include eight (8) FMR’s, five (5) solar dryers under other infra, and one (1) potable water supply level II.

The Municipality of Isulan has four (4) subprojects worth P116.16 million which have all been completed; Municipality of Lambayog with four (4) SPs worth P58.55 million which are already completed; Municipality of Esperanza with eight (8) SPs worth P339.36 million with six (6) completed while (2) are still on-going; and Municipality of Kalamansig with four (4) subproject worth P744.90 million which are still on process.

Meanwhile, the IREAP SP on Production and Marketing of Green Coffee Beans worth P10.32 million is already at 48.63% completion.

The implementation of all these infrastructures and enterprise subprojects aim to provide support to local farmers and project beneficiaries in improving the links from production areas to markets to enhance the efficiency of transporting agricultural products and to engage broad sections of the sector in the production of marketable surplus through investments in strategic segments of priority commodity value chains and strengthening collaboration between DA and the Local Government. (Joy Montecalvo | PSO Mindanao)