OCCIDENTAL MINDORO, October 2, 2023 – Twenty- five (25) members under the Samahan ng Madiskarteng Pangkababaihan Farmers Association (SaMaPaFA) in Occidental Mindoro turned agripreneur after earning Php 316,178 from the poultry project provided by the Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) Program Phase 1 in 2022.

In August 2022, the group received 410 chickens, 200 sacks of feed, and 10 chicken cages, 30 bottles of medicine and vitamins, and complementary training, all amounting to Php 1,002,034.

As a counterpart, the association constructed a communal poultry farm in barangay Cabacao, Abra de Ilog, land owned by Ms. Teresita A. Bagunas, one of the association members’ relatives. The members implemented a rotating shift to ensure the welfare of the poultry stocks. Poultry management included feeding, cleaning, and monitoring of stocks.

After nine (9) months of rearing the chickens, in December 2022, the group earned Php 185,674 after selling in Cabacao the collected 33,610 eggs at Php 6-12 per piece or Php 180 to Php 230 per tray depending on their size. Their January to April 2023 egg harvests provided them with a gross income of Php 255,160.

The association spent Php 124,656 on operational costs including gas, supplies, vitamins, and labor.

Table 1. SaMaPaFA egg production data (August 2022 to April 2023)

Members of the association claim that the project helps their families’ daily needs and allows them to make extra money by selling fresh eggs in their neighborhood.

“Nagpapasalamat po kami sa ibinigay ninyo sa aming pangkabuhayan. Maraming-maraming salamat po at nagkaroon kami ng mga bagong ideya, nagkaroon ng negosyo,” said Ms. Amalia M. Bagunas, President of Samahan ng Madiskarteng Pangkababaihan FA.

(We express our heartfelt gratitude for the livelihood you have provided us. Thank you very much for giving us new ideas and opportunities to start a business.)

The group has set aside Php 75,000 of their earnings to buy new sets of RTL chickens (200 heads), each costing around Php 370, to maintain the project’s viability. Once the original stocks provided by the program reached its maturity stage and are no longer productive, they will be culled and replaced with new ones.

Further, the group plans to expand revenue by selling value-added products like leche flan and cake while continuously marketing farm-fresh eggs within their barangay. ###

Writer: Melissa F. Lingco, DA-SAAD MIMAROPA Information Officer
Sources: Engr. Maiden Marie Segui, Associate Project Officer, Jhonzell Panganiban, DA-SAAD MIMAROPA Community Development Officer