KALINGA, March 12, 2021 – Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) Program provided fruit trees and duck production interventions to three farmers’ associations (FA) in Kalinga worth Php 1,180,300.

The turnover ceremonies were conducted simultaneously in Tabuk City and Tinglayan on March 12.

The interventions were funded under the FY 2020 budget appropriation, benefiting 110 local and indigenous farmers belonging to the Kalinga IP communities – the Naneng (60 members) and Ifangad (50 members) sub-tribes.

In Tabuk City

Thirty (30) selected farmers out of 70 members from Banat-Banaban-Pacao Credit Cooperative (BBPCC) and another 30 from the SAAD Farmers of Dupag (SaFaDu) FA (which also has 70 members) of Tabuk City received 900 pieces (pc) rambutan seedlings, 900pc lanzones seedlings, 60 units knapsack sprayer, 60 bags fertilizer, 60pc crowbar, 20 cans eggplant seeds, and 10 cans pechay seeds.

The first wave of distribution of the Fruit Trees and Duck Production Project granted to the groups in Tabuk City amounts to Php 553,500.

The estimated production area of the 60 farmers benefiting from the project is about 10 hectares (ha) combined land.

The first cycle of duck eggs will be incubated for hatching to ensure a good number of layer stocks while the succeeding eggs will be used for both households’ consumption and sale.

Value-adding such as salted egg processing is also foreseen for the project. The enterprise planning is facilitated by the Tabuk City Community Development Officer Suzette Galinggan.

On the other hand, fruit tree yields are expected in years span, hence the supplementary vegetable seeds (eggplant and pechay seeds) were provided for additional food source and income.

In Tinglayan

Fifty (50) members from Churawon FA of Tinglayan, received 600pc rambutan seedlings, 600pc lanzones, 30 bags fertilizer, 270 head Muscovy ducks, 11 cans pechay seeds, and 9 cans of eggplant seeds. The intervention provided amounts to Php 626,800.

About 10ha combined land area of the Churawon FA with 50 selected members is also intended for the program’s project cultivation.

Similarly, layer stocks will initially be produced and will go on salted egg enterprise as facilitated by Tinglayan MLGU Agricultural Technician Johnny Danggit during the FA’s planning.

Aside from the production of fruits, the group – initiated by FA President Jeffrey Siwag – also eyes the establishment of a fruit tree nursery.

In the ceremony, Tinglayan Municipal Mayor Sacrament Gumilab said that the intervention is a good state initiative towards empowering our marginalized rural farmers in independent food production and hopefully, enterprise establishment for and within their community.

With the presence of the provincial, municipal, and barangay local government units; SAAD staff; and IP beneficiaries in Tabuk City, Rep. Jesse Mangaoang through Mr. Placido Alsiyang (IP consultant and a farmer) said that the implementing bodies should uphold unity for the success of the projects.

Tabuk City Mayor Darwin C. Estrañero responds to the unification call by establishing trading posts in the city where local farmers could bring their farm produce. This project was promised by Secretary William Dar during his visit to the province in September 2020.

Assistant Provincial Agriculturist, Ms. Julie Aclam assures the local farmers that their office is always open for any technical assistance that the program may need.

Ms. Cindy Mangliwan, BBPCC chairperson, shared during her response message, “Agyaman kami iti daytuy nga programa ti agriculture ket ittuy me nga narikna nga han kami nalipatan nga adda ti sulsulinek ti gobyerno ket encouragement met ti padak nga farmer nga imula amin dagituy naiyeg nga seeds ken seedlings tapnu nu mapunnu jay Bantay ket bareng dakdakkelen tu da mayor jay trading post” [Thank you for this program because it is through this that we felt the government did not forget the remote areas where we are in. Also, our fellow farmers encouraged us to plant all these seeds and seedlings so that when the time comes that Bantay will be overloaded with our produce, the mayor might consider building a bigger trading post.].

The livelihood assistance by the program aims to provide an additional source of income among beneficiaries and secure food availability in their communities. ###

Writer: Sheena Phine B. Pisco, Information Officer I, Kalinga

Source: DA-SAAD Kalinga