Sustaining their egg production projects under the Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) Program, Farmers’ Associations (FAs) in the Siargao Islands, Surigao del Norte purchased ready-to-lay (RTL) chickens with prefabricated cages amounting to Php 292,500 to replace culled layers and continue meeting the demand for eggs in their communities.
Makugihong Mag-uuma sa Katipunan (MMK), Active Farmers Association in Mahayahay (AFAM), and United Del Pilar Farmers Association (UDePFAss) each purchased 100 layer chickens, while Malipayon ug Mauswagong Mag-uuma sa Mahayahay (M4) and San Miguel United & Resilient Farmers (SMURF) bought 75 layer chickens each. The chickens were delivered simultaneously during the third week of January 2026.
“Being able to purchase additional layer chickens using our own funds was a testament to our growth as an organization. Our hard work – from maintaining the poultry farm to marketing our eggs – paid off,” said MMK Chairman Baltazar Escobia, citing the production and economic gains achieved through their SAAD-supported egg production project.
Assistant Provincial Coordinator (APC) for Surigao del Norte Porcelito M. Escobal Jr. said the initiative would help sustain daily egg production, especially as some of the existing chickens were already due for culling.
“Their decision to buy new layer chickens ensured that egg production would be sustained while operational costs and feed management remained efficient,” Escobal said. He added that the layer chickens provided in 2023 were already past their optimum productivity after three years of egg laying, emphasizing that productivity and profitability went hand in hand.
Meanwhile, UDePFAss Chairwoman Annaliza T. Pascual shared that the culled chickens would be sold within their barangay to make room for the new batch.
“We planned to sell the healthy culled chickens in live weight for meat consumption,” Pascual said.
SAAD Caraga continued to support and guide its FAs in managing production, marketing, and operations to ensure sustainable income generation through their Community-Based Enterprises (CBEs).
