SAN JUAN, Abra (PIA) -- The Department of Agriculture – Cordillera(DA-CAR) recently turned over  to a farmers group  here around P6 million -worth project  under the Integrated National Swine Production Initiatives for Recovery and Expansion (INSPIRE) program.

The Arana-ar Farmers Association   of Barangay  Abualan  received newly constructed pig pens, 75 heads of pigs and additional grower feeds  during the turnover ceremony  from  DA-CAR  Operations Chief Dr. Virginia Tapat, DA  Regulations Chief Ruben Dulagan and San Juan Vice Mayor Ari Lucas Bautista.

The INSPIRE program aims to speed up the recovery of the hog sector from African Swine Fever. It is a 3-year program that offers mixed interventions to jumpstart and revive the significantly dying swine industry. It takes particular attention to clustering and consolidation strategies specifically of small hog raisers to facilitate technical support services and other interventions.

Arana-ar Farmers Association  president Marcos Timbreza expressed his gratitude  to the DA for  the intervention provided to their group.

“Nakakatulong  ito sa  amin lalong-lalo na sa mga members ng association na wala nang trabaho at hanap buhay,” Timbreza said.  

Bautista encouraged the  farmer-members to sustain the project given to them  which  can make them swine producers.

“We challenge our farmers here in Abualan na sana hindi lang sa simula. Instead,  we must aim to become one of the suppliers of swine dito sa San Juan,” he said.

Dulagan cited that the project can become the members’ business for  additional income.

 “Dapat ang goal ninyo, makapag-generate ng profit para aangat ang buhay and we hope na sana ma sustain ang project na ito dito sa barangay niyo.”

The municipality  of San Juan was once identified as a pink area,  a buffer zone  where ASF is not present but adjacent to an infected zone. (JDP/CAGT - PIA CAR, Abra)