THREE farmer and fishers associations in Negros Oriental were the recipients of cattle fattening assistance from the Department of Agriculture (DA) in 2021 under the Special Area for Agricultural Development (Saad) program.
The said associations thanked DA for their extra earnings from selling their cattle.
Adelina Kilapkilap, president of the Mainit Tayak farmers and fishers association, is grateful for the unexpected income from selling her cattle at the auction market.
According to Kilapkilap, she was not expecting to earn P35,000 from selling her cattle.
The total net sales of the 15 members of the associations who joined the auction reached more than P400,000.
Together with 14 other farmers who are members of the three associations, namely, the Mainit Tayak Farmers and Fishers Association, the Tayak Proper Farmers’ Association, and the Cabangahan Tayak Farmers Association, the beneficiaries of the Saad program who received cattle can sell their animals twice, as specified in the memorandum of agreement of the backyard cattle fattening program in 2021.
Saad focal person Mae Montecillo said under the memorandum of agreement, members who are able to sell their cattle are to apportion 30 percent to the respective associations as sustainability scheme of the project.
The collective income of the three associations from the 30 percent share reached more than P200,000, which will be used to buy cattle for other members who have not received in the initial distribution.
After the members repay their obligation to the association, they can diversify to other agribusiness endeavors such as meat processing, said Montecillo. (PIA)