The Department of Agriculture allotted P3.4 million worth of inputs for a cattle fattening project for farmer-beneficiaries in Negros Oriental.
Under its Special Area for Agricultural Development program, the DA distributed the livestock assistance to 80 farmers in the municipalities of Basay and Siaton, and Canlaon City.
Some 15 farmers of the Cabalayongan Farmers Savings Association in Basay received specialized training in cattle feedlot and management practices with the assistance from the DA’s Livestock Program and Regulatory Division, a government press release said.
Cattle production and fattening, and forage establishment were also part of the training.
Demonstration on silage-making was also conducted to help secure cattle feed when drought season comes.
The DA granted the CFSA a total project cost of P525,580.
With this, each farmer received interventions that included one female cattle worth P33,000 per head, one bag of grower feeds worth P1,650, and vitamins worth P522.
In Siaton town, 25 farmer-beneficiaries were trained, including those from Tayak Proper Farmers Association, Mainit Tayak FA, and Cabangahan Tayak FA.
Each association or group received five male cattle worth P495,000, one bag of grower feeds worth P24,750, and vitamins worth P7,830, for a total cost of P527,580.
The DA also provided a shredder for forage, worth P330,000, and to be shared by the groups that are part of the Siaton Municipal Federated Farmers Association.
The association will adopt a pass-on scheme for the identified next-in-line beneficiary for sustainability purposes.
The beneficiaries are required to inform the Office of the Municipal Agriculturist, through the association, of the sold cattle and give a 30-percent share from their gross sales.
This means that 70 percent of the sales will go to the farmer while 30 percent will go to the association.
Meanwhile, the agriculture department also inked a memo of agreement with Canlaon City for an additional project, the press release said.
Under the cattle fattening project, 30 famers are expected to receive P2 million worth of interventions, which include 30 male cattle, 30 bags of feeds, medicines and biologics, a shredder, and training.
There are 10 famer-beneficiaries coming from each of the three groups of farmer associations which include the Barangay Bucalam Farmers and Irrigators Association, Barangay Budlasan Agri-Farm Family Irrigators Association, and the Barangay Masulog Agro-Forestry Farmers Association.
Canlaon City Mayor Batchuk Cardenas, Rep. Ronilo Landesa Llanes – chairman of the Committee on Agriculture, City Agriculturist Andrea Cabanes Canoy, and SAAD area coordinator Ralph Guinit were present during the MOA signing.*
