MASBATE, January 3, 2022 – Two farmers’ associations from Masbate are now reaping rewards from the Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) Program’s Duck Production Project through fresh, salted, and pickled eggs.
In August 2021, 31 farmers of the Panguiranan Farmers’ Association (PFA) in Balud received a duck production package worth Php 744,000 (Table 1).
The same intervention package was received by the San Pedro Mallard Duck Raisers Association with 20 members in San Pascual in September 2021.
Table 1. Duck production package received by each association
Panguiranan Farmers’ Association
PFA President Erlinda F. Dela Cruz extends gratitude sharing, ‘’Tuwang-tuwa kaming lahat na mayron na kaming makukunan ng extrang kita (We are all so happy that we now have an additional source of income).”
Aside from the duck production package, the PFA also received training on poultry production and product development on August 24, 2021.
Meanwhile, with the initiative of the barangay local government, a 0.5-hectare (ha) portion of land was allotted to the association as a communal duck production area with pond.
Each member is involved in the management of their communal poultry project. Every day, two to three members of the association are assigned to feed and water the stocks as well as maintain and sanitize the area. Collecting the eggs and securing the perimeter fence to prevent unwanted species within the area are also included in the tasks.
The association currently focuses on selling fresh duck eggs to the members and neighbors. A tray of fresh duck eggs sells at Php 150.
The PFA sold a total of 146 trays of fresh duck eggs earning Php 21,900 covering the months of October to December 2021 which was apportioned to the association’s fund.
Moreover, members of the association who bought fresh eggs took the initiative on food processing creating pickled and salted eggs.
The salted eggs are valued at Php 12/piece (pc) while the pickled eggs are Php 15/pc within the community.
The association also plans to expand its value-added products including balut to be sold within Panguiranan and neighboring barangays of Balud.
San Pedro Mallard Duck Raisers Association
The association was divided into two groups where each group managed 100 ducks in a communal area and the remaining 200 were distributed among its 20 members.
The first communal area is located in Sitio Bukal, barangay San Pedro while the other communal area is situated at Sitio Ubos in the same barangay measuring 1,200 square meters each.
Some members of the association also received first-hand training on livestock production and enterprise development conducted in August 2021 to be re-echoed to their respective association members.
Almost every member already harvested eggs from their stocks for consumption, while the association’s communal area is starting to sell freshly harvested eggs.
Table 2. SPMDRA’s total incomeFrom September to December 2021, the first group of the association collected a total of 3,759pc of fresh duck eggs and generated a total net income of Php 15,372. While the other group harvested a total of 3,551 eggs and generated a net income of Php 12,232 (Table 2).
In addition, the association successfully produced a total of 73 ducklings with the aid of the incubator provided by the DA-SAAD in January 2020. The ducklings will be added to their stocks.
With the perseverance of the members and unity of the association, they aim to increase their production so that they can become one of the suppliers of fresh eggs and other egg-based products in San Pascual and nearby municipalities in the coming year.
Ana Talisic, one of the members of the association, extended her gratitude to the program. She shared, “SAAD ay nagbigay pag-asa sa aming mga mahihirap na magsasaka para maiahon namin ang aming pamilya sa kahirapan. At dahil din sa aming pagsisipag at pagpapahalaga sa programa, ito ay makakatulong para makapagpatapos sa pag-aaral ang aming mga anak. Maraming maraming salamat sa SAAD program.”
(SAAD provided poor farmers like us a chance to lift our families from poverty. And through our efforts and appreciation of the program, we hope that we can support the education of our children. Thank you very much to the SAAD Program.)
The association plans to use its profit to buy animal drugs and biologics, feeds, and other supplies needed to sustain duck production. They also intend to purchase a portion of land and construct a simple assembly area for their association. ###
Writers:
Jay A. Ogaya, SAAD Masbate Information Officer
Maribeth Mangalino, SAAD Planning Officer
Angelica A. Blanco, SAAD Information Officer
Sources: PPMSO Masbate
Photo Sources:
Charence A. Gueriba, PPMSO Masbate Area Coordinator
Jay A. Ogaya, PPMSO Masbate Information Officer
