SORSOGON, October 13, 2022 – With the promising income acquired by eight (8) farmers’ associations (FAs) in Sorsogon within one month from the poultry project provided by the Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) Program, plans to establish community-based enterprises (CBEs) are being considered.
From August to September 2022, the FAs reported a combined amount of Php 83,858.00 net income for their first 2 months of production.
Before they became SAAD beneficiaries, the members work as poultry raisers, fishermen, and farmers of rice, copra, and vegetables where they get their daily source of income. Because of this, the poultry production project was given to the selected FAs through consultation of meetings with the DA-SAAD staff and with the validation of the area and provincial coordinators.
Prior to the distribution of interventions, the beneficiaries attended a Poultry Production and Product Development Training from the DA-SAAD program to provide them with necessary knowledge, skills on basic poultry management and practices, food processing, product packaging, labelling and costing.
(Read: https://saad.da.gov.ph/2022/08/94-sorsogon-farmers-attend-value-chain-training-on-poultry)
On August 23, 2022, a total of 198 farmers benefited from SAAD’s Chicken Production Project worth Php 396,514.31 distributed to seven (7) farmer groups namely Angat Farmers’ Association (20 members), Samahan ng mga Mangingisda ng Bartolome (24 members), Samahan ng mga Mangingisda ng Brgy Kwatro (24 members), Pangpang Farmers’ Association (35 members), Magsaysay Farmers’ Association (20 members), Tupas Indigenous People Farmers’ Association (30 members), and Genablan Occidental Farmers’ Association (22 members). Meanwhile, Hidhid Farmers’ Association with 23 members received the same interventions without the cages but with additional inputs needed for enterprise establishment amounting to Php 297,800.01.
Table 1. Breakdown of Poultry Production package*Animal drugs and biologics is purchased for all FAs in the province, and is divided and distributed into 7 FAs.
Note: Unit cost is based on the PDP, while actual cost may varyTable 2. Breakdown of Poultry Production and Enterprise Development packageNote: Unit cost is based on the PDP, while actual cost may varyOne month after the distribution of poultry inputs, the groups reported that they were able to gather 17,084 pieces of small size fresh eggs which were sold for Php 6.00 per piece in their respective barangays from August 24 to September 24, 2022.
Table 3. Farmers’ Association’s income from RTL chicken eggsAccording to area coordinators, the groups reported 15 mortalities of ready-to-lay (RTL) chicken due to fowl pox disease and constant change in weather. To avoid the transmission of sickness, the farmers administered vitamins and improved their monitoring system by implementing biosecurity and quarantine measures for the chickens showing signs of illness.
In addition to this, the groups utilized Php 18,646.00 from their sales to buy additional biologics, poultry water pipes, materials for housing and other utilities for the maintenance of the chickens.
During the ceremony in Pilar, Pangpang Farmers’ Association President Carlito Soria expressed his gratitude upon receiving the DA’s project. “Hagad ko pong pasalamatan ang pinagsikapan ning SAAD na nagdara digdi ki proyekto na manukan na mapapakinabangan ta para maka-asenso. Pagsisikapan mi man po na mapaunlad ang proyektong ini para mas makatabang sa samuyang mga parauma sa maabot na panahon,” he said.
(I want to thank the SAAD Program for providing us with a profitable poultry project. We will make sure to sustain these inputs so that it can help us further in the future.)
With the gathered income from selling eggs to their neighbors and co-farmers, the groups plan to open a savings account. The money collected in their accounts will be kept then eventually divided to each member.
Moreover, the remaining funds will be allotted in purchasing additional stocks to increase their revenue and for the expansion of their chicken housing. With the knowledge they gained from previous SAAD-conducted training on Poultry Production and Product Development held in July 2022, the FAs also plan to start making value-added products like salted eggs and start a lugawan business as community-based enterprises (CBEs) next year. ###
Writer: Pauline Trixia D. Borja, DA-SAAD Sorsogon Information Officer
Sources:
Mary Rose Detera, DA-SAAD Sorsogon Provincial Coordinator
Ma. Ligaya Renegado, DA-SAAD Juban Area Coordinator
Jonas Guañizo, DA-SAAD Pilar Area Coordinator
Aizel Grefalda, DA-SAAD Sta Magdalena Area Coordinator
Allen Jao, DA-SAAD Magallanes Area Coordinator
Mark Joven Barja, DA-SAAD Donsol Area Coordinator
Jonathan Borres, DA-SAAD Matnog Area Coordinator
Photos: DA-SAAD Sorsogon
