THE Region-6 office of the Department of Agriculture (DA-6) disclosed that the agency’s Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) program in Western Visayas completed the distribution of P1.34 million worth of free-range native chicken stocks to 24 farmers’ associations (FAs) in the provinces of Antique and Negros Occidental.
According to the DA-6, the native chicken production project, which is funded under the 2020 budget, aims to augment the income of the marginalized farmers in the upland areas of Laua-an and San Remigio in Antique, and Calatrava and Moises Padilla in Negros Occidental that rely mostly on farming as their source of livelihood and income.
“We will not be able to reach our target if not for the support of our partner local government units. Despite the limited mobility in the region, we doubled our efforts to promptly deliver the interventions, which could somehow ease the burdens of the farmers who are also facing the threats of the pandemic,” says SAAD Western Visayas focal person Dominador Marquez.
At least seven FAs in San Remigio are expected to expand their native chicken production enterprise after receiving another 785 breeder stocks worth P592,000 recently.
The DA-6 says the beneficiaries also received P78,000 worth of veterinary medicines, and 83 bags of commercial feeds costing some P116,200.
The DA-SAAD likewise aided the four FAs in Laua-an by providing 300 heads of native chicken worth P210,000 in addition to the P30,000 worth of medicines, and another P91,000 worth of feeds.
With a reported high poverty incidence rate, based on a 2015 data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, the municipalities of Calatrava and Moises Padilla were added as project sites in the second year implementation of the SAAD Program in Region-6.
A total of 360 heads of native chicken worth P252,000 were also distributed to six farmers’ groups in Calatrava.
The beneficiaries also received P36,000 veterinary medical supplies, and 78 bags of chicken feeds worth P109,200.
Meanwhile, 420 native chicken stocks worth P294,000 including veterinary medicines amounting to P42,000 and another P127,400 worth of feeds were also turned over to six FA beneficiaries in Moises Padilla.
As counterpart, the FA beneficiaries are required to provide appropriate housing facilities for the native chicken stocks.
They were also urged to insure their project with the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. in order for them to avail of benefits if ever there will be mortalities caused by natural calamities or instances of disease outbreaks.
“If the beneficiaries will provide the proper care and management, the free-range chickens will undoubtedly multiply in the coming months,” added Marquez.
It was also learned that Christopher Casilano of Barangay Ilaya, the FA president in Calatrava, said “salamat gid sa Department of Agriculture kay daku guid ang matabang sang free-range native chicken sa miyembo sang amon asosasyon kapin nga may ara kita gina atubang nga pandemic.”
Native chicken production in the identified SAAD sites is expected address the shortage of supply in the two provinces where the demand is seen to increase in the coming months./PN
