SIQUIJOR, November 9, 2021 – A total of 175 farmers from Siquijor received Php 10.7 million worth of interventions for livestock (cattle and goat) and poultry (chicken) production from the Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) Program to secure food and provide additional sources of income through enterprises.

With the initiative of the program, farmers were given livelihood projects to attain food security and uplift them out of poverty.

The DA-SAAD Program through Siquijor local government unit (LGU) distributed the inputs under the FY 2019 Livestock Production Project and FY 2020 Chicken Egg Production Project from October 21 to 27. The funds were transferred to Siquijor LGU through the Provincial Veterinary Office on May 17.

Sixty cattle, 120 goats, 50 modules of ready-to-lay chicken, and drugs and biologics were delivered to the beneficiaries.

Most of the farmers involved in livestock production have meager incomes. Because of the increasing price of biologics and veterinary drugs, a number of their existing livestock have died from diseases.

The Livestock Production has a total project cost of Php 6.076 million, which is composed of upgraded cattle and goat production. The cattle were distributed to 60 farmers from Larena (16), Siquijor (17), San Juan (17), and Lazi (10). The goats were delivered to 25 farmers from Enrique Villanueva (10), Maria (10), and Lazi (5).  Each farmer received one packet of goats, which is composed of one buck and four does.

Another 40 cattle and 180 goats will be delivered to 116 farmers in Lazi, Maria, Enrique Villanueva, San Juan, Siquijor, and Larena this November 2021.

Meanwhile, the Chicken Egg Production Project amounted to Php 4.6 million were allotted to 100 farmers from 6 municipalities – Enrique Villanueva (10), Larena (12), Lazi (22), Maria (18), San Juan (16), and Siquijor (22). A pair of farmers received one module, which is composed of 48 chicken. ###

Writer: Jolina T. Daño, SAAD7 Information Officer

Source: Agnes Guanella M. Café, Provincial Coordinator