ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE – The Department of Agriculture -Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) Program has officially taken off at Dampalan, Dapitan City with the initial delivery of 1,200 bags of organic fertilizer and 46,000 cassava stalks for the Cassava Production Project of Dampalan Farmers Association.

The project is a collaborative effort of the City Government of Dapitan through its City Agriculture Office and the SAAD Program in Zamboanga del Norte.  The Dampalan Farmers Association was identified by the City of Dapitan to be its initial farmers’ group which will be the partner-beneficiaries of SAAD.

According to Ms. Susan Empeynado, Senior Agriculturist of Dapitan City, they will strictly implement 100% organic cassava farm covering a total area of 100 hectares under the SAAD program. The project requires a total of 200,000 cassava stalks as planting material and 6,000 bags of organic fertilizer. Ms. Empeynado is the designated focal person of the City Government of Dapitan in the implementation of SAAD Program in the city.

The city government of Dapitan provided free plowing and harrowing services to all the beneficiaries of the Cassava Production, added Ms. Empeynado.  She also designated one staff from the CAO to assist and monitor the project.

On the other hand, Mr. Samuel Pobadora, Dampalan Farmers Association President, vowed to do their best to succeed in the project.  He as well mentioned that they have no reason to fail with the full support they now receive from the City of Dapitan and the DA through the SAAD Program.

The Cassava Project will have a sub-component five-module Goat Breeding Project that will be distributed in five strategic areas in the barangay.  Each module consists of five does and one buck.  This will serve as the goat breeding stations of the Dampalan Farmers Association as they venture in goat dispersal project for their members.

The farmer-beneficiaries shall then be obliged to plant  “madre de agua” or trichantera, ipil-ipil and other forages to ensure food supply for the small ruminants.  The Jose Rizal Memorial State University (JRMSU) Katipunan, Zamboanga del Norte Campus committed to providing free planting materials of forages for the livestock projects as support for the SAAD Program in the Area.

Source: Ronilo Dusaban, Provincial Coordinator, SAAD ZANORTE