THE Department of Agriculture Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) Program completed the distribution of P1.34 million worth of free-range native chicken stocks to 24 farmers associations (FAs) in Western Visayas.
Funded under the 2020 budget, the native chicken production project seeks to augment the income of marginalized farmers in the uplands of Laua-an and San Remigio in Antique and Calatrava and Moises Padilla in Negros Occidental.
Seven FAs in San Remigio will be able to expand their native chicken production enterprise after receiving another 785 breeder stocks worth P592,000 recently. The beneficiaries also received P78,000 worth of drugs and biologic, and 83 bags of commercial feeds priced at P116,200.
In addition, DA-SAAD also aided the four FAs in Laua-an with 300 heads of native chicken worth P210,000 plus P30,000 drugs and biologic, and P91,000 worth of feeds.
Meanwhile, with a high poverty incidence rate based on the Philippine Statistics Authority 2015 data, the municipalities of Calatrava and Moises Padilla were added as project sites in the second year implementation of the SAAD Program.
A total of 360 heads of native chicken worth P252,000 were granted to six farmers groups in Calatrava. The beneficiaries also obtained P36,000 drugs and biologic, and 78 bags of chicken feed worth P109,200.
A total of 420 native chicken stocks worth P294,000 with drugs and biologic amounting to P42,000, and P127,400 worth of feeds were turned over to six FA beneficiaries in Moises Padilla.
As a counterpart to the project, the FA beneficiaries shall provide appropriate housing for the native chicken stocks. They were also urged to insure their project with the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation so they could avail themselves of indemnification once there are mortalities caused by natural calamities or disease outbreak.
“If the beneficiaries will provide the proper care and management, the free-range chickens will undoubtedly multiply in the coming months,” said SAAD Western Visayas Focal Person Dominador Marquez. (with reports from SMHToreno/DA-RAFIS 6/PN)
