BOHOL, December 22, 2023 – To further increase productivity and help reduce the cost of transporting crops, twenty-two (22) members of Villa Aurora Farmers Association received large ruminants from the Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) Central Visayas on December 14, 2023.

Under the FY 2023 Carabao and Ube Production Project, 22 carabaos (21 caraheifer, 1 carabull) worth Php 874,000 were distributed to the group. The turnover activity that took place in Barangay Villa Aurora, Dagohoy, Bohol was assisted by the SAAD Bohol area coordinators, Provincial Program Management Support Office (PPMSO) Bohol, and the local farmers.

Prior to the distribution, the BNA findings revealed that the recipients require access to agricultural inputs to increase local food production. Aiming to boost farmers’ output, implementers developed livelihood initiatives, particularly training and capability enhancement in cultivating crops such as ube and managing carabao production. 

Aside from helping them in farming endeavors, Villa Aurora Farmers Association will implement a pass-on scheme in which each member will take good care of the carabao until its reproduction and will give the first offspring to another member. After passing on, if the next offspring is sold once it reaches the minimum weight, 10% of the sales goes to the association while 90% goes to the farmer beneficiary. 

However, if in any case that the association does not have any next-in-line recipient, the FA allows the farmer who passed-on the calf to raise the animal for fattening purposes. The sharing scheme will be 50% of the profit goes to the association and the other 50% to the farmer.

Additionally, ube, which will be managed individually, can be grown anytime of the year but the FA chooses to start planting at the beginning or just after the rainy season for best results.

Local farmer Camilo C. Cantoneros, one of the recipients, shared his gratitude by saying, “Nagpasalamat mi sa SAAD Program kay natagaan kami ug kabaw. Kining kabaw daku kaayong ikatabang namu especially sa among panguma ug kini among ampingan,” (We are thankful to the SAAD Program for giving us these carabaos. This would be a big help to us in our farming activities so we will take good care of it).

SAAD Central Visayas targets distribution of agricultural inputs for the ube production to Villa Aurora Farmers Association in 2024 before the start of the planting season in May. ###

Writer: Jessica R. Alvero, DA-SAAD Central Visayas Information Officer 
Source:John Paul A. Sanchez, SAAD Bohol Area Coordinator and Darwin Boncales, SAAD Bohol Provincial Coordinator