Manila, Sept. 4 -- The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Thursday urged lawmakers to support the proposed Farm-to-Market Roads (FMR) Development and Equity Act, which aims to address the "staggering" backlog in rural road infrastructure.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. stressed that FMRs are crucial to achieving the Marcos administration's food security targets.

"Farm-to-market roads are the backbone of food security. They bring down costs for consumers, boost earnings for producers, and unlock growth across rural economies," Tiu Laurel said in a statement.

The DA estimates that around 36,000 kilometers of FMR backlogs could be addressed under a six-year implementation cycle of the agency's master plan.

"Every kilometer...