ANOTHER batch of 14 small backyard livestock and poultry raisers in Negros Occidental have received about P4 million worth of financial assistance from the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP).

This is through a loan program under the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (Acef) of the Department of Agriculture (DA).

The Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) said that all in all, they already assisted 28 individual animal raisers who received the loan program package.

Provincial Veterinarian Renante Decena said the office is committed to assisting animal raisers, whether individually or through an association or organization, especially in terms of preparing their business or farm plan, proposals and budget.

The initiative is aimed at increasing animal production of the raisers and alleviating the financial condition of their respective families, he added.

The PVO said the Acef program targets to increase the productivity of farmers by providing the necessary credit to qualified individual animal raisers, their cooperatives and associations, and micro and small-scale enterprises.

The fund is for the acquisition, establishment and improvement of production facilities and other farm inputs with a maximum amount of P1 million.

Animal raisers in the province who would like to avail the loan program are urged to visit the PVO in its new location at the Ground Floor of Multi-Purpose Building on Aguinaldo Street.