NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, January 13, 2023 – Seven (7) farmers’ associations (FAs) in Negros Occidental received 11 units of automatic incubators from the Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) Program to support their duck production and native chicken enterprise.

Each FA from Salvador Benedicto and Toboso received one unit of incubator with a hatcher worth Php 74,368 per unit, while FAs from Calatrava and Moises Padilla received 3 units each. The incubator has a 528 egg maximum hatcher capacity that creates the ideal conditions for an egg to incubate and hatch successfully. It is designed to regulate incubation temperature and humidity at perfect levels as well as recreate the role that the broody hen plays in nature.

All FAs agreed to set up their incubators at locations with access to electricity.

As of now, they have yet to finalize their policies on the sharing scheme of the machinery but most have initial plans to allot funds from their accumulated savings out of their income intended for electricity bills.

Aside from hatching, the incubator features include a digital temperature and humidity gadget, alarm system, aluminum edging or corner guard with viewing glass, casement window, and auto-refill made of melamine laminated plywood.

During the turnover, the Regional Agricultural Engineering Division (RAED) along with SAAD provincial staff performed incubator calibration as well as onsite training for proper handling of the equipment.

Each of the 7 FAs has an existing native chicken production that currently has a population ranging from 130 to over 200 head. With the use of incubators, the groups expect to increase their stocks to almost 50 percent.Table 1. Units received by 7 FAs

SAAD Agripreneurs

There has been a growing demand for native chicken meat in Negros Occidental. Apart from the traditional public markets that typically stock up on free-range chickens and native chickens, consumers are now likely to see more of the products in supermarkets in malls where the free-range chickens are well-dressed and presented.

According to the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist, many producers have realized the higher potential of native chickens, especially the dressed chickens or its processed products as opposed to live stocks sold in the market.

Purok Locsin Farmers and Farmworkers Association (PLOFFA). With the provision of incubators from the SAAD program, Ms. Dolly Celedenio, chairperson of PLOFFA, is confident they will be able to increase the population of their native chicken more efficiently, thus having more stocks for their planned lechon manok (roasted chicken) enterprise.

“Dako guid ini nga bulig sa amon sa pag sagod sang native nga manok kay ang incubator maka-improve sa pagbuto kag gina lauman guid namon nga magdamo pagid ang amon stocks,” Ms. Celedenio said.

(This is a big help to us in our native chicken production because the incubator could improve egg hatching and we expect to increase our stocks.)

PLOFFA has 30 beneficiary-recipients for the native chicken project who are all active members coming from 30 households in Barangay Igmaya-an. They became a recipient of SAAD’s FY 2019 Native Chicken Production Project worth Php 101,000 and FY 2022 In-Support Project to Native Chicken Production worth Php 451,000.

From 100 chickens, PLOFFA was able to increase their stocks to 230 on their 180-square-meter communal farm. To sustain the project, the association agreed to follow a rotational shift in the schedule of monitoring among its members. Financially, part of their project policy is a 65:35 profit sharing for the association (65%), and the members (35%).

Early in December this year, SAAD provided the group with a complete set of grillers and one unit of chest freezer as a start-up for their native lechon manok enterprise. PLOFFA members (30) have also undergone training on enterprise development and value-adding of native chicken last July 2022. According to Ms. Celedenio, they are planning to put up their business in the town proper near the public market as a strategic location to gain more customers.

Hilub-ang Upland Farmers Beneficiary Association. Mr. Arnel Priolo, president of Hilub-ang Upland Farmers Beneficiary Association, for his part, recognized the importance of incubators for their native chicken production, especially since they are preparing to engage in a meat processing enterprise.

“Ang amon ginatuyo amo ang pagpadamo sang native chickens kag magnegosyo pinaagi sa pagbaligya sang livestocks kag amo man ang food processing. Gani, dako guid ang mabulig sang incubators sa goals sang amon grupo nga magbusiness kag ako naga laum guid nga magadamo pagid ang amon native chicken stocks,” said Priolo.

(We are aiming to increase the number of our native chickens and engage in business by selling live stocks and food processing. So, our incubators will greatly help us to achieve the goals of our group to establish a business, and I am hoping that we will increase our native chicken stocks.)

From October 10 to November 28, Priolo’s group sold 38 head of native chicken reared at their communal farm in Barangay Hilub-ang and generated a total sale of Php 10,640. Aside from trading live native chicken, he said that they are currently venturing into meat processing by making native chicken siomai, embutido, and sisig.

Magticol Agro Forest FA. Magticol Agro Forest FA was given 188 mallard ducks and 50 drakes under the FY 2022 Duck Laying Production Project worth Php 397,428 delivered last October 2022.

Mr. Pedro Craos, the group’s chairperson, said they are rearing their animals under a free-range scheme at a communal farm. Ducks are allowed to graze and scavenge on newly-harvested rice fields which are rich in duck feeds such as rice hull, snails, seeds, grass, fish, and insects. The group created a temporary shelter and fence using fishnets to allow ducks to rest in the afternoon. The shelter also serves as a nesting place and provides protection from wild animals. Prior to receiving the inputs, the members attended duck raising, good management practices as well as enterprise development training initiated by SAAD.

Mr. Craos expressed his gratitude after their group received three units of automatic incubators which are expected to improve their poultry production.

“Mangin mapinuslanon guid ang ini nga mga machines sa amon pagsagod sang mga bibe kay tama guid ini ka importante sa pagpabuto. Kami nagapasalamat guid sa SAAD kay sige-sige ang bulig nga amon nabaton. Amon man gina promisa nga ampingan namon ang ini nga proyekto,” said Mr. Craos.

(These machines will be very useful for our duck production since they are very important for hatching eggs. We are very thankful to SAAD for the continuous assistance we received. Rest assured that we will take good care of this project.)

At present, the Mallard Duck Production Project of the association has a 20% egg-production rate daily. The sizes of eggs vary from small to medium. Mortalities were recorded due to flooding brought on by Typhoon Paeng. When their production reaches full scale, the group plans to engage in balut enterprise, a common delicacy in the town. ###

Writer: Christ John Gamarcha, DA-SAAD Region 6 Information Officer