ILOCOS NORTE, December 19, 2023 – With an aim to diversify income streams of Riverside Greeners Association (RISGA) in Dumalneg, Ilocos Norte, the Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) Ilocos Region provided 32 cattle and 2,000 kilograms of ginger rhizomes under its FY 2023 Enhanced Cattle and Ginger Production Project worth Php 1,700,000 in June and October this year.

RISGA composed of 42 members also received other farm inputs such as 100 bags of cattle feed, 30 bottles of fenbendazole, 16 containers of molasses, 50 bottles of vitamins A, D, and E, farm tools, one multi-purpose cultivator, one multi-purpose shredder, one pump and engine set, 12 knapsack sprayers, 83 plastic crates, and 25 plastic drums. 

The livelihood project on cattle and ginger was identified as one of the farmers’ needs in their communities after incorporating the results of the Beneficiary Needs Assessment (BNA) carried out by the program implementers in the first quarter of FY 2023.

Prior to receiving the interventions, separate training sessions on ginger and cattle production as well as capacity-building for RISGA members were provided to prepare them both for organizational and livelihood project management.

Cattle and ginger livelihood project

In the arable lands of Barangay Kalaw in the landlocked town of Dumalneg, RISGA farmers primarily cultivate rice, vegetables, and root crops as a source of livelihood. They also engage in animal husbandry, rearing cattle, swine, goats, and chicken for additional income.

Ms. Ruby R. Lagoc, FA president, said her group members started to rear their cattle in a communal farm and plan to establish and operate cattle enterprises involving sale of live weight cattle and beef.  

For their ginger production, they planted the rhizomes in individual farms with an estimated land area of 4,000 square meters per member. Aside from trading their fresh harvest, RISGA farmers will incorporate ginger waste materials as a feed additive for their cattle as it can improve their immunity and growth. To cut down expenses on fertilizer, they can also use the cattle manure as organic compost for their ginger crops.

With the farmers’ years of experience both in crop cultivation and animal rearing, diversified livelihood assistance such as the cattle and ginger production project could provide RISGA a sustainable income-generating livelihood as well as multiple sources of profit. The members also underwent two-day financial management training early in December to teach them proper record-keeping and management of resources and properties. ###

Writer: Roley Ann P. Dela Cruz, DA-SAAD Ilocos Region Information Officer