SOUTHERN LEYTE, June 6, 2022 – The Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA- SAAD) Egg Layer Project in Tomas Oppus, Southern Leyte provides additional income to farmers to recuperate from effects of Typhoon Odette.
Mapgap Farmers Association (MAFA) is a Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) registered farmers association (FA) and an active rural-based group in the municipality of Tomas Oppus. Currently, the FA has 25 active members composed of small-scale vegetable, root-crop, and copra farmers with monthly income ranging from Php 4,500 to Php 5,000.
Through active participation in local government units (LGU)-based programs implemented by the office of Municipal Agriculturist Services, the FA was recommended by the Municipal Agriculturist, Melona P. Caritan to the SAAD Program.
In 2021, SAAD Southern Leyte conducted a needs assessment, validation, and profiling where the FA qualified as one of the four (4) group beneficiaries in the province for the Egg Layer Production and Marketing project worth Php 7,443,000.
MAFA then received the package of intervention for the Egg Layer Project worth Php 1,860,750 on August 17, 2021 (Table 1).
Table 1. Interventions received by MAFA
Though the FA was initially uncertain since it was their first time managing an Egg Layer Project, they were able to apply the skills learned from various training provided by the staff of the Provincial Veterinary Office and SAAD on effective management of the interventions.
PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION
During MAFA’s first quarter of production in 2021, before the catastrophic super Typhoon Odette, the group had higher egg production and collected 28-31 trays daily at 30 eggs/tray. The prices per tray of eggs vary depending on sizes (Small-Php 150, Medium-Php 170, Large-Php 190, X-Large -Php 200, Jumbo-Php 220, Cracks -Php 120). The association gained a total gross income of Php 854,168.99 for eight (8) months of operation.
Table 2. MAFA’s Egg Production monitoring table (2021 – 2022)
After the devastation brought by super Typhoon Odette in Southern Leyte, the group can only collect 22-24 trays per day as 40 head of layer chicken died when the poultry house collapsed during the calamity.
As of April 2022, the FA spent Php 48,900 from their gross income for re-construction of the facility of the RTLs. MAFA also plans on expanding the project by adding 400 head of RTL before September 2022, as demand for eggs increases in preparation for the Christmas season.
According to MAFA’s member Mrs. Milagrosa Francisco, ‘’Daku mi ug pasamat sa Ginoo tungod sa iyang ka maayo nga bisan pa sa tanan nga amoa nasugatan nga problema ug kalisud ang iyang panalangin naa permi. Ug ang SAAD nahimo nga usa sa mga panalangin nga iyaha gihatg namu. Ug sa baylo, amoa paningkamotan nga masustenar ang maong programa.”
(We are grateful to our almighty God for He is so good to us. Though we were scourged by different dilemmas, still he blessed us continually and SAAD is one of the blessings that he has given us. With this, we will do our best to sustain the said program.)
MAFA members are dedicated in working together and sustaining the project for succeeding cycles to provide additional income to members. Currently, the FA saves 10% of their net income for capital buildup that they can use in the future.
MAFA aims to be self-sufficient in their operations to have minimal to full independence from government aid, especially for rehabilitation of areas hit by calamities. With the help of the SAAD Program, the needs of every household are sure to be filled up. ###
Writer: Rovelyn Timkang, Area Coordinator, SAAD Southern Leyte
