ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE, November 11, 2020 – The Department of Agriculture (DA) in Region 9 has fully delivered Php 16,462,070.00 worth of interventions to aid the egg production of 29 farmers’ associations (FA) in Zamboanga del Norte.

The beneficiaries from 15 municipalities in the province received the Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) Program’s Layer Chicken Egg Production Project from FY 2020.

The project consists of 242 modules (11,616 head) of layer chicken with fabricated cages and 1,866 bags of feeds.

The interventions will support existing projects of 27 associations from 2017-2019 while two new associations – the Canibungan FA from the municipality of Polanco and Labukanan FA from Barangay Daniel Maing, Kalawit – received the project this year.

The SAAD team in Zamboanga del Norte, headed by its Provincial Coordinator Ronillo Dusaban, assisted the deliveries of the interventions which started in September.

DA-SAAD in Region 9 is well-known by the local communities for its egg production projects.

The fresh eggs produced by the farmers are readily available for sale and are patronized by the residents and bakeshop operators from different municipalities.

Furthermore, the associations that received the projects from the previous years have witnessed how the livelihood assistance facilitated in improving their quality of life.

In Mutia, the Newland Women’s Association – a beneficiary since 2017 – has already accumulated Php 200,000.00 savings in bank. Twenty-five (25) active members already received Php 4,000.00 each or a total of Php 100,000.00 as their share from the association’s income.

Not only did the farmers achieve economic growth but social development as the project improved cohesion among the members of the association.

The threats that COVID-19 pandemic has brought did not hinder the DA-SAAD to fulfill its promise to their farmer-partners in providing livelihood assistance to the depressed, deprived, and underprivileged farmers in the province. ###

Writer:               Aimee Lou Madjus, SAAD Zamboanga del Norte- Information Officer

Copy editor:      Natalianne Marie Delos Reyes, SAAD NPMO- PR & Comms Officer