DIPOLOG CITY, January 15, 2021– The Department of Agriculture (DA) – Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) Program in Region 9 is ready to serve farmers this year with a total budget of Php 113,111,000 (based on the General Appropriations Act).

The SAAD Zamboanga del Norte and Sulu teams planned their implementation in a meeting in Dipolog.

DA- Chief of Fields Operations Division Reynaldo Campomanes instructed the Area Coordinators (ACs) and technical staff to hold advance arrangements (purchase requests) to avoid delays in the purchase and delivery of agricultural interventions to the farmers in their respective areas of assignment.

The SAAD Region 9 also agreed that they should practice transparency over their transactions to ensure the effective use of resources.

The team also discussed matters (e.g. liquidation of agri-inputs and small machinery and any accounts payable) from 2020 to be settled this January.

SAAD Region 9 livelihood projects in 2021

The SAAD in Zamboanga del Norte will promote the free-range native chicken raising project by providing 4,000 head to municipalities of Sibuco, Sibutad, Rizal, Roxas, and Siocon. It will also provide additional support to peanut processing (e.g. cooking equipment and container jars) to Sagip Farmers Association as an enterprise.

On the other hand, the Cassava-Corn-Peanut Production and the Egg Production projects (egg machine) will still be the main livelihood projects that SAAD will provide in Sulu.

The SAAD Region 9 targeted 85 livelihood projects that will benefit 167 groups with 650 members in 2021. The team is also set to conduct training programs for 1,345 targeted beneficiaries. ###

Writer:                 Natalianne Marie O. Delos Reyes, PR and Comms Officer- SAAD NPMO

Sources:                Aimee Lou Madjus and Shara Malaica Ussam, Information Officers- SAAD Region 9
Ashley Mae Apigo, PME Focal Person- SAAD NPMO