NAGA CITY, Camarines Sur (PIA) — The Department of Agriculture in Bicol (DA Bicol) has distributed P46 million worth of assistance packages for egg production to poultry raisers across the Bicol region.
The assistance, which included 20,000 hens, chicken feeds sufficient for four months, pressure washers, battery-powered cages, solar panel equipment, and vehicles, was provided through the DA’s Livestock Economic Enterprise Development (LEED) Program, Gail Antioquia, the LEED assistant focal person for Bicol, said on Thursday.
The solar power sets, pressure washers, and vehicles used for transporting eggs from farms to market were distributed to beneficiaries on Thursday. Other components of the package were distributed in October and November last year.
Emie Jane Malonzo from DA Bicol stated that the aim of this distribution is to help small farmers increase their income and improve food security in the region, ensuring that everyone has access to sufficient food.
The beneficiaries include the following organizations:
Quinuartilan Camalig Farmers & Irrigators Association Inc., Legazpi Livestock and Poultry Raiser Agriculture Cooperative, and Bonga Women Planters Association, all in Albay;
Samahang Kababaihan ng Malacbang, Masangkay Farmers Association, and Rotary Club of Metro Daet, all in Camarines Norte;
Catanduanes State University Virac Campus, Catanduanes State University Panganiban Campus, and the municipal government of San Miguel, all in Catanduanes;
Delta Company of the 2nd Infantry Battalion, and the municipal governments of Aroroy and Balud, all in Masbate;
Municipal governments of Matnog and Magallanes, and the Barangay Fabrica Livestock, Poultry and High-Value Crops Farmers Association, all in Sorsogon;
And Umasarig Agriculture Cooperative, Bikolanas Agriculture Cooperative, and Camarines Sur Multi-Purpose Cooperative, all in Camarines Sur.
Each beneficiary received a layer module package valued at P2.3 million, except for the Camarines Sur Multi-Purpose Cooperative (CSMPC), which received multiple packages.
CSMPC, which received P3.9 million worth of packages, shared that they previously faced low cash inflow due to poor harvests and sales from swine and high-value crops.
Although CSMPC, which has over 10,400 members, generates revenue from trading and dining operations, it still sought assistance from DA Bicol as its working capital remained low.
“Our board decided to submit a letter of intent to the DA, and months later, we received the good news that we qualified for a poultry grant from the government,” said Annielen Panerio, the CSMPC chief executive officer.
Panerio said that the chickens awarded to them were ready to lay eggs, providing them with immediate income.
“Eggs are a common breakfast staple among Filipino families, and we feel the positive difference,” she added.
Just days after the distribution, Panerio noted that egg production has become their second-highest source of profit, next to rice.
“I realized that this assistance from the DA is a significant help for us, especially for our small-scale businesses, as it assures us of a steady income,” she said.
“We are deeply thankful for the agricultural programs of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for helping our cooperative sustainably increase our daily profits and regular revenues outside of our usual operations,” she said.
Antioquia said that the increase in chicken egg production in Bicol not only helps ensure food security in the region but also combats undernutrition and provides livelihood opportunities.
This initiative is part of the Philippine Poultry Layer Industry Roadmap, which is the Marcos administration’s strategic framework for ensuring food security, increasing egg consumption, and enhancing the resilience of the local egg industry, she said. (Keren Anne Bernadas/PIA Bicol)
CATANDUANES STATE UNIVERSITY, as well as the San Miguel local government unit, are recipients of P2.3 million Layer Module Package consisting of hens, chicken feed sufficient for four months, pressure washers, battery-powered cages, solar panel equipment, and others the Department of Agriculture (DA) regional office’s Livestock Economic Enterprise Development (LEED) Program.