Bringing hope and joy to 100 backyard cattle raisers in Sto. Domingo, Ilocos Sur, the Department of Agriculture in Ilocos Region, in collaboration with the Local Government Unit of Sto. Domingo, Ilocos Sur distributed Php 5 million worth of Feedlot Cattle Fattening Project under the DA’s Bayanihan II – “To Recover As One” to the Arangkada Sto. Domingo Federated Farmers Association.
Held today at the Municipal Grounds in Sto. Domingo, Ilocos Sur, the project aims to provide livelihood opportunity to selected livestock raisers who met the basic requirements of the National Livestock Program upon validation by the technical team of the Regional Livestock Banner Program.
The implementation of the project also aims to increase local beef production not only in Ilocos Sur but in the country as it provides available and affordable beef and beef products to consumers.
As part of the project protocol, the DA-RFO I transferred the funds to the LGU-Sto. Domingo to manage and administer the procurement activities of the project as well as the disbursement of the funds provided.
Following the clustering and consolidation model that will ensure a systematic management of the beneficiaries, farmer-recipients can market their cattle after at least 180 days or six months of raising the animal.
As a component of the project, the DA shall provide P50,000 worth of package module for every 100 members of the farmer association-recipients comprising of one head heifer, veterinary drugs and biologics, concentrate feeds as well as technical training to further capacitate them on cattle management and production.
According to Ms. Abigail Bayaua, DA-RFO I’s Livestock Project Coordinator in Ilocos Sur, the project is basically a grant project for the farmer-recipients. “However, for the project to become sustainable, farmer-recipients has to pay back in kind to his farmer’s group three years after availing of the project to provide opportunity for other farmer-members to avail the same,” Ms. Bayaua said.
The distribution activity was led by Sto. Domingo Mayor Bryan Dexter Tadena together with the DA-RFO I’s Ilocos Sur Research and Experiment Center Chief, Ms. Josephine Bueno, Ilocos Sur Agricultural Project Coordinating Officer, Mr. Jomar Dayap, Arangkada Sto. Domingo Federated Farmers Association, Mr. Ponciano Tabuac and Ilocos Sur’s Provincial Veterinarian, Dr. Celso Gao-ay.
