DAVAO CITY (PIA) – The Department of Agriculture distributed a total of P362 million grant to around 21,000 farmers in the region to recover from the African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak.
During the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas in Davao City, DA XI Regional Executive Director Macario Gonzaga said that the farmers, who are members of the 70 farmer cooperatives and associations (FCA), received a fund grant under the National Swine Production and Initiatives for Recovery and Expansion (INSPIRE) project.
Each farmer-group beneficiary got at least P5 million fund for the construction of bio-secured swine facility, and procurement of initial hogs and feeds.
RED Gonzaga added that among the beneficiaries, 50 groups already constructed their swine facilities; while eight recipients harvested their initial hog stocks.
The identified farmer groups who had their first harvest were Southern Davao Multi-Purpose Cooperative, UNICARBAI Multi-Purpose Cooperative, Demoloc United Farmer’s Association, and Malita Rural Workers and Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Multi-Purpose Cooperative (MARWABEMCO), all from Davao Occidental province; Davao Oriental Marker Multi-Purpose Cooperative (DOMMUPCO), and Limbahan Small Coconut Farmers and Women’s Multi-Purpose Cooperative (LIMSCOFARMCO) from Davao Oriental province; Pasig Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Upland Farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative (PARBUF-MPC) from Davao del Sur; and CPI Agrarian Reform Cooperative from Davao de Oro.
According to the DA XI Livestock Program, the first harvest under the INSPIRE program produced around 4.8 to 6 metric tons of pork meat.
It is expected that before the year ends, all farmer groups will have their first harvest that will produce around 420 to 525 tons of pork meat.
The hog industry in the region also shows a slight increase from 2022 to 2023. Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority shows that the hog production in Davao grew from 138,604 metric tons in 2022 to 139,806 in 2023.
Meanwhile, farmer beneficiaries expressed gratitude to the government for helping them recover from their livelihood.
During the INSPIRE project turnover ceremony in Mawab town, Davao de Oro, Ronnie Garganta, chairperson of Andili-Nueva Visayas Multi-purpose Cooperative (ANUVIMCO), expressed his gratitude to the government for enabling them to help in the production of hogs in the region.
ASF Outbreak Update
Raye Angelo Dayot, Agriculturist I of DA XI, bared during the Kapihan episode that 30 cities and municipalities in the region were lifted from ASF red zone to pink and yellow zones.
Under DA Administrative Circular No. 12 series of 2019, red zones are areas where there is a laboratory confirmed ASF; pink zones are the buffer zones; yellow zones are high risk areas that are under surveillance; light green are low risk areas, and dark green are ASF free areas.
Garganta added that they are still monitoring the presence of ASF in the region. (RVC/MLU/PIA-Davao de Oro)
