KALINGA, May 31, 2021 – Balbalan, Kalinga farmers earned Php 405,113 from the 135 hogs produced under the Swine Production Sub-project of the Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) Program amid the African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak.
In 2019, the SAAD Dao-angan Farmers Association with 51 members became a beneficiary of the program, receiving Php 2,895,177.49 livelihood provisions on Integrated Root Crops and Swine Production Project, and Integrated Root Crops and Duck Production worth Php 2,079,880 in 2020.
For swine production, each member received a package consisting of one head gilt, feeds good for one cycle (from breeding to offspring production), and five heads of boars for the group.
Keeping the area ASF-free
Despite the ASF outbreak in 2019 to the present, 19 members of the group profited from the project. The members earned a total of Php 405,113 from their 135 hogs (Table 1).
Table 1. SAAD Dao-angan FA Swine Production IncomeThe group kept their area ASF-free with the following measures:
- Compliance to the prohibition on entrance of swine and pork by-products from other municipalities and nearby barangay units;
- Discouraging consumption of pork from other places;
- Providing proper animal food and vitamins; and
- Strict compliance to ASF prevention guidelines (biosecurity measures) provided by the barangay’s task force.
Synergy: a closer look at good practices
Joana Taylan, a 25-year-old mother of two, is a contractual employee at the Western District Hospital in Balbalan where she earns Php 6,000/month.
Through the said project, Joana earned Php 51,190 from her 20 produced hogs since 2019 which greatly helped her family’s finances.
From her total sales, she expanded her pigpen to accommodate an increasing number of hogs, bought feeds for her stocks, and spent for her family’s expenses such as food and bills.
Her produce, together with the other group members, is a big help in providing disease-free pork in their area.
“Awan patingga na nga panagyaman mi iti daytoy nga programa ta naikkan kami ti oportunidad nga agbalin nga entrepreneur iti swine ken ti poultry metlang. Gapu na, naaddaan kami ti another source e of income nga dakkel nga tulong para ti panagbiag ti pampamilyas mi,” shared Joana, SAAD Dao-Angan FA secretary.
As an agreement, the members allocated 1% of their earnings to the group’s fund to keep it running and to supplement the swine repopulation and crop projects such as turmeric and banana enterprises (for 2021).
To date, Dao-angan already has a total savings of Php 18,400, acquired mainly from the swine production project. This is expected to increase with the steady demand for swine in the province.
Aside from swine production, Dao-angan SAAD Organization is currently managing an Integrated Root Crops and Duck Production which is, at present, on production stage.
The DA-SAAD Program will be providing training for the organization to prepare them for enterprise establishment. ###
Writer: Sheena Phine B. Pisco-Dayagon, Information Officer I, Kalinga
Source: Glenda Joy D. Wanasen, Balbalan Project Development Officer I
