KALINGA, March 07, 2022 – Ninety (90) members of the Latawan, Ag-agama, and Mallongan Farmers Association (LAMFA) in Barangay Western Uma are now considered as a major supplier of table egg in their municipality following their successful production starting in November 2021 to January 2022.
The egg production project provided by the Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) worth Php 2,495,190 to the association include 1,254 ready-to-lay (RTL) chicken, 600 bags of layer feeds, 20 vials fowl pox vaccine, 30 units fabricated cages, 12 rolls HDPE pipe, 10 rolls laminated sack, 10 rolls poultry net, 50 egg trays, 2 units egg scaler, and 1 unit generator.
This project was funded by the DA-SAAD Program under FY 2021 in partnership with the Local Government Unit (LGU) who donated a lot area and housing facility materials for the communal egg production, while the FCA beneficiary constructed the facility and managed the project. The area measures 750 square meters and currently houses 1,224 chickens.
The FCA, composed of the Lubuagan indigenous people has been a SAAD beneficiary since 2021 who underwent the Organizational Development and Management (ODM) training during its social preparation and poultry production management training before receiving their chicken stocks. They started to sell fresh eggs harvest from November 2021 up to the 2nd week of February 2022, earning Php 180,682 total sales (Table 1). The layer stocks are producing about 750 pieces (pcs) or 25 trays of eggs per day with sizes ranging from small to large.
From 41,203 eggs, 39,954 pcs were marketable while 1,249 pcs were used for table consumption among the LAMFA members.
Table 1. Table egg production and sales of the LAMFA.
LAMFA expects an increase in their daily harvest as their projected figure is currently at 70%, bound to increase to 90% when laying chicken production peaks. The FA looks forward in the coming months for the opportunity to supply eggs to more barangays, being a community-based enterprise, as they share a common border with other 14 barangays in the region.
“Dakkel ti tulong na daytuy nga proyekto naggapu ti DA-SAAD ta han min nga kailangan nga apan Tabuk City tapnu gumatang ti itlog. Daytuy asosasyonen ti agilaku ittuy ken ti karruba nga barangays. Makasigurado pay ti umili nga fresh ti gatangen da,” shared Mr. Marlon Segundo, son of a beneficiary.
(This project from the DA-SAAD is a big help since we don’t have to go to Tabuk City to purchase eggs. This association can now supply our barangay and neighboring areas. The locals can also assure that the eggs they are purchasing are fresh.)
The FCA is currently looking at the possibility to engage in food processing of pastries and delicacies from their produce, aside from being a supplier of fresh eggs.
The project in Western Uma will soon be a realization of the Lubuagan LGU’s vision for the barangay – to be the “egg basket” of the city. ###
Writer: Sheen Dayagon, Information Officer I – Kalinga
