LA LIBERTAD, ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE –  140 farmers from the province, the majority of them are women, were more empowered with the provision of the Department of Agriculture (DA) – Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) Program’s agricultural livelihood assistance during the celebration of International Women’s Day (IWD). The mass turnover activity was held at the Municipal Gymnasium on the 8^th of March 2019.

SAAD Provincial Coordinator Ronilo Dusaban and SAAD Region IX Focal Person Reynaldo Campomanes led the event with the help of La Libertad Mayor Romeo Mejias.

The following farmers’ associations below were given support on different livelihood projects implemented by SAAD Region IX for FY 2018.

Association	No. of beneficiaries	Project	Barangay
1. La Libertad Agricultural Producers’ Association	30	Sweet Corn and Goat Production	Sta. Catalina
2. Sitio Tuayon Farmers’ Association	25	Organically Grown Vegetable Production	Mauswagon
3. Sta. Cruz Small Coconut Farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative	35	Banana Production	Sta. Cruz
4. La Union Farmers’ Association	25	Sustainable Upgraded Native Chicken Production	La Union
5. Mauswagon Farmers’ Association	25	Sibuying Production and Processing	Mauswagon

 

One of the projects seen as the most progressive is Mauswagon’s sibuying production as the farmers have developed a salad, an emerging delicacy in a jar, to be marketed soon. SAAD Region IX provided the materials to perfect the processing of the sibuying salad. ###

 

Writer: Jhomai Canlas, SAAD PR & Communications Officer