THE Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) of Negros Occidental has turned over P17 million worth of projects to various recipients including local government units (LGUs) and animal raisers associations in the province.
The ceremonial turnover led by Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr., Vice Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, and Provincial Veterinarian Renante Decena was held during the opening of Livestock and Dairy Fair 2018 at Panaad Park in Barangay Mansilingan, Bacolod City on Saturday.
The projects include P9-million establishment and development of Swine Artificial Insemination Center. Its components are 20 heads of boar, 20 heads of buck, and 24 heads of gilt.
The recipients are Barangay Cabadiangan in Himamaylan City and LGUs of Candoni, San Enrique, E.B. Magalona and Calatrava, and some LGU-based hog raisers association and artificial inseminations technicians for large animals.
PVO also distributed P4 million worth of multiplier farm expansion projects including four units of free-range chicken multiplier farm and three units of Peking duck production center.
Project components are one unit free-range and Peking duck house, one poultry incubator, 150 heads breeder chicks, 100 heads Peking duckling, and one unit brooder cages.
Receiving such project are the Negros First Ranch in Murcia and LGUs of La Castellana, Candoni, San Carlos, Sipalay, Valladolid, and E.B. Magalona.
Other projects turned over are P3 million worth of poultry layer and P1 million in carabao dispersal, both under the Negros First Animal Livelihood Program (NFALP).
Most of these projects were already distributed and implemented last year, PVO said.
NFALP mainly targets to augment the livelihood of raisers in the province.
It is complementary to the Provincial Animal Genetic Improvement Program (Pagip), including artificial insemination, which aims to improve and upgrade the genetic makeup of local livestock and poultry animals.
The establishment and development of multiplier farms, meanwhile, is aimed at capacitating recipient-LGUs to produce more quality stocks for its re-dispersal initiative, it added. (EPN)