NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, May 25, 2023 – The Toboso Paravet Hog Raisers and Farmers’ Association (TOPAHARFA) in Toboso, Negros Occidental opened up its own meat shop business after accumulating Php 890,140 gross income from their swine production venture.
TOPAHARFA with 30 members is a beneficiary of the Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) Program Phase 1 FY 2022 Swine Production Project worth Php 791,200.
Chairperson Mr. Jubert Gabo, said their group started their first cycle of livestock project in May 2022 and they were able to sustain their production for the third cycle until April 2023.
“Tungod sa kakugi ug paningkamot sa pag-atiman sa among proyekto sa produksyon sa baboy gikan sa programa sa SAAD, nakab-ot namo ang kalamboan sa among kinabuhi tungod kay nahimong mas aktibo kami sa among proyekto isip usa ka grupo ug kini nahimong dugang nga tinubdan sa kita nga among gigamit sa pagpalit sa among adlaw-adlaw nga panginahanglan ug pag-suporta sa among pamilya,” shared Chairperson Gabo.
(Because of hardwork and effort in tending our hog production project from SAAD Program, we achieved improvement in our lives because we became more active in our project as a group and this has become our additional source of income that we used to buy our daily needs and support our family.)
Most of TOPAHARFA’s members are volunteer paravets hailing from different barangay units in Toboso. Paravets are barangay-based volunteers trained and mobilized as animal vaccinators to assist technical personnel of the local government in conducting various veterinary extension services. Some of the members, meanwhile, are small-scale backyard hog raisers and backyard vegetable growers.
Project Management
Hog raising in Negros Occidental has been a profitable business for many Negrenses. Its popularity is evidently seen in the backyards of rural families. An average family in the province usually raises a small number of pigs until they reach their marketable age and are sold to aid in the family’s daily needs.
Thirty (30) first-in-line members with hog-raising experience were selected as recipients of SAAD’s swine production project. Hogs grow and reproduce 8 to 12 piglets per farrowing even under adverse conditions.
From May to June 2022, inputs under the FY 2022 Swine Production Project were provided to the group. TOPAHORFA received 30 piglets, 10 upgraded gilts, 1 boar, 60 bags of hog feeds, water drums, water hoses and drugs and biologics. Further, SAAD also provided the group with meat shop materials such as chest freezer, weighing scale, water drum, butcher knife, chopping board, among others to start transforming the project into an enterprise.
Mr. Joemarie Bersales, FA’s Vice-Chairperson, shared the group’s scheme to let the whole group benefit from the project. They agreed that the animals will be raised in three (3) sitios for sufficient space, shelter, and access to food and water. The 30 first-in-line grantees are to give back (roll-over) three (3) piglets to the association should the mother stock reproduce. In addition, each member also remits Php 200 to the association for each live weight sale which will serve as a revolving fund for expenses in slaughter and hauling fees.
Key Results
From May to August, 30 hogs that reached their marketable size were sold within the community and meat shops in the town’s public market mostly as liveweight worth Php 12,350 per head, giving them a total gross earning worth Php 370,500.
After accumulating sufficient funds, TOPAHARFA allotted 60% of their income from their first production cycle to buy 30 additional piglets for the second cycle. Within five (5) months, (August-December 2022), the group’s swine venture earned a gross income of Php 422,400 after trading 30 live-weight pigs sold at Php 14,300 per head.
This January 2023, the group again utilized their savings to procure a third batch of 30 piglets for the 3rd cycle of production. As of the first week of May, the group was able to trade eight (8) hogs mainly as pork cuts at their meat shop in the town’s public market. After eight days of operation, the group earned Php 97,240. This time, they again set aside 40 percent of their total earnings to procure another batch of piglets for the next production cycle and would be intended for next-in-line beneficiaries, while 60 percent will be divided among the members who raised the hogs.
As of writing, the group rears a total of 22 pigs in their three communal areas.Table 1. TOPAHARFA’S Swine Production (May 2022 to May 2023)
|
Date |
No. of Hogs Sold (head) |
Price (Php/kg) |
Gross Income |
| 1st Cycle (2022) (May-August) |
30 |
190/kg |
370,500.00 |
| 2nd Cycle (2022) (August-December) |
30 |
220/kg |
422,400.00 |
| 3rd Cycle (2023) (April 28 to May 4) |
8 |
260/kg |
97,240.00 |
|
Total |
68 (4,244 kg) |
890,140.00 |
Meat Shop Enterprise
TOPAHARFA’s direction is toward establishing capacity and credibility to supply fresh pork meat in their area, so an FA-owned meat shop business was opened on April 28 at the town’s wet market.
Chairperson Gabo ensured they have sufficient funds to start the FA business; with the help of the Municipal Agriculture Office, they also secured a business license and sanitation permit.
He also added the meat shop business is not only very profitable but also immune to the recession. Meat is consumed daily, which means that there are no lean times for the business, except during lent. The profit margins from meat products are also higher compared to other commodities.
“Kami adunay makanunayon nga suplay sa mga baboy gikan sa among mga miyembro nga nagpadako sa ilang kaugalingon nga mga baboy mao nga mahimo namon nga i-adjust ang presyo sa baboy aron makigkompetensya sa mas taas nga presyo sa ubang mga tindera sa karne sa merkado alang sa kaayohan sa publiko nga mokaon” (We have a steady supply of pigs from our members raising their own hogs, that’s why we can adjust the price of pork to compete against the higher prices of other meat vendors in the market to the benefit of the consuming public), Mr. Gabo said.
Ways Forward
Toboso Municipal Agriculturist Armando Abano said the local government of Toboso has already pipelined projects included in their municipal planning development plan for the SAAD beneficiaries given the program’s Phase 1 closure in the town. He also shared that the MAO is proposing entrepreneurial training for farmers who would like to engage in value-adding and food processing which would scale up their operations.
MAO Abano acknowledged TOPAHARFA as a group that strives to be financially-stable entrepreneurial livestock traders and they are important drivers of the rural economy.
The group is looking forward to sustaining their hog venture to reach the fourth or fifth cycle of production this year so they could have a steady supply of pork for their meat shop business. They also plan to expand in membership since many locals have expressed interest to join. Finally, the group also plans to engage in value-adding such as pork tocino and longanisa to maximize their market space and supply. ###
Writer: Christ John B. Gamarcha, DA-SAAD Region 6 Information Officer
