The Department of Agriculture-Cordillera through the Livestock Banner Program disperses 140 sheep worth ₱ 2,769,202.00 to the farmers of Benguet at the Benguet Capitol, La Trinidad, Benguet on September 14, 2020.
The sheep are Dorper breed from Gerona, Tarlac
The municipality of Buguias received 50 heads, 30 heads for Itogon, 40 heads for Tuba, 15 heads for La Trinidad, and 5 heads for Sablan including dewormers and mineral blocks.
Under the DA Memorandum Circular No. 21, the Expanded Livestock and Poultry Production and Livelihood Project for COVID 19 response aim to contribute to food amidst the present crisis, provide live hood and additional income for poor farmer households, and provide protein source to poor farmer households in the peri-urban and ASF-affected areas.
Martin Suldayan, President of Lusong Vegetable Grower Organization in Buyacaon, Buguias lauds the efforts of the department on giving intervention during this pandemic.
He said that this dispersal will serve as other sources of income of their association members aside from planting vegetables like cabbage and allowing them to venture out to small ruminant raising.
“It was our first time to receive sheep for raising and it was indeed a big blessing for us farmers who have experienced difficulty in marketing our vegetable produced”, he added.
Meanwhile, Dr. Miriam Tiongan, Benguet Provincial Veterinarian said this initiative of the DA in partnership with Local Government Units (LGUs) helps many farmers in the province engage in livestock raising.
She said before the animals were received, training and capability building were provided to the beneficiaries by the Benguet Provincial Veterinary Office.
(Source: Da-Car Rafis Facebook page)