DOLORES, Abra (PIA) — Self-sustaining fishery sectors in the province is one of the goals of Bureau of Fisheries Aquatic Resources (BFAR) through the Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) program.
The BFAR-Cordillera recently rolled out the Marketing Assistance and Enterprise Development (MAED) to establish market linkages for SAAD program beneficiaries.
The three-day MAED roll-out covered the overview, rationale and planning of the activity on the first day, market mapping on the second day, and market data processing and report generation on the third day.
Held at the Municipal Evacuation Center Conference Hall, here, it was attended by all the SAAD program area coordinators in the region and Regional Project Management Support Office of BFAR-Cordillera.
MAED is a component of SAAD, now on its second year of implementation focuses on the provision of market-related activities relative to the provided livelihood projects of the program.
DA-Cordillera Lead Officer for SAAD Ashley Mae Apigo explained that the program aims to benefit not only the fisherfolks and their associations, but also the local community.
“Through marketing assistance and enterprise development, hindi lang mga fisherfolk association ang tinutulongan natin, but at the same time makapag-contribute tayo sa growth ng local community through the fishery sector. ‘Yon ang isa sa mga main goals ng SAAD program” Apigo said.
Dolores Mayor Conde Turqueza lauded the efforts of BFAR in developing strategies to boost the livelihood and income generating capacity of local fisherfolk. For instance, fisherfolk Marlow Balneg of Barangay Kimmalaba, Dolores elevated the market value of the tilapia he received under the SAAD by venturing into dried tilapia production.
“I thank you for you are here to enhance the fish production of the province, and thank you also for choosing a program that will benefit most of my constituents in the fishery sector,” Turqueza said. (CAGT-PIA CAR, Abra)
