SORSOGON, July 20, 2023 – The Embarcadero Agri-Itik Farmers’ Association in Sorsogon recorded a total of revenue worth Php 31,080.00 from selling fresh duck eggs in Brgy. Embarcadero, Juban from February to June 2023 after receiving the Duck Production Project provided by the Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) Program Phase 1.

Composed of 35 members, the Embarcadero Agri-Itik Farmers’ Association was registered under the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) as a group of farmers who are engaged in fishing, as well as vegetable and rice farming.

The Duck Production Production Project worth Php 666,254.00 was funded under fiscal year (FY) 2022, however due to confirmed cases of avian influenza affecting bird species, the project was hampered in response to the memorandum on Temporary Suspension of Movement of Live Birds, released on April 6, 2022 by the DA.

In 2023, the group received the Duck Production Production Project worth Php 666,254.00 (FY 2022) which included 200 heads of mallard duck, 180 bags of layer duck feeds, 120 bags of grower duck feeds, 1 unit of incubator, three (3) pieces of laminated sacks, 30 pieces of egg tray, and 1 unit of 10-kg capacity weighing scale. Said project was provided to serve as an additional source of income to the group.

Embarcadero Agri-Itik FA’s duck production  

To create a suitable environment for the stocks, the group constructed a 20-square meter (sqm) duck house in Brgy. Embarcadero as a counterpart to the project and have assigned 5 caretakers per day to be in charge of feeding, disinfecting, and collecting of eggs. The members said fresh eggs were sold depending on egg size variations, ranging from Php 150.00 to Php 210.00 per tray. 

FA President Olivia Almonte shared that eggs are usually sold to walk-in customers in their barangay. Aside from this, the group has expanded its market reach by engaging in social media. From February to June 2023, the group sold 148 trays of eggs and accumulated a gross income of Php 31,080.00. 

Table 1. Income generated from egg production (February-June, 2023)

In a bid to help their community, the group created a strategy by offering their products at a lower price for the residents of Barangay Embarcadero. One member, Ms. Celeste Gomez, recently started a small business establishment by engaging in salted egg processing in May 2023. She used the knowledge gained during the Poultry Production and Enterprise Development Training conducted by the program in 2022 where she learned various processing and value-adding activities.

According to her, she wanted to help the group increase its income by buying all the remaining eggs which she utilized for her salted egg business. At the price of Php 13.00 each, she has sold a total of 810 pcs of salted eggs and earned Php 10, 250.00 worth of gross income from May – July 2023.

Having built her own business through value-adding, she inspires the other members to also establish value-adding products such as balut, leche flan, and kwek-kwek.

With the thriving impact of the project, Ms. Almonte expressed her gratitude to the program. “Grabeng pasalamat namon sa SAAD kay kami an napili na Barangay na mahatagan sadi na mga itik. Dai lang ini saamon na asosasyon nakatabang pati man sa bilog na barangay kay igwa sinda nababakal na baratong bonay na pagkaon sa laog kan pamilya.”

(We are thankful to the SAAD Program for selecting us as beneficiaries. The program not only helped us but provided people in our barangay with access to affordable eggs.)

By December 2023, 50% of their total income will be distributed to all the members while the remaining half will be allotted for the ducks’ feeds and maintenance.

After graduating from SAAD Phase 1, the group was endorsed to the Local Government Unit (LGU) and Municipal Agricultural Office (MAO) of Juban for broader linkages that may help the group’s duck egg business.###

Writer: Pauline Trixia D. Borja, SAAD Bicol Information Officer
Sources: Mary Rose Detera, SAAD Bicol Associate Project Officer, Maria Ligaya Renegado, SAAD Bicol Associate Project Officer
Photos: Pauline Trixia D. Borja, SAAD Bicol Information Officer