FISHERFOLKS of Negros Occidental have identified marketing and aquaculture related projects as their preferred livelihood support from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources VI’s (BFAR 6) Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) program.
This was the result of the Beneficiary Needs Assessment (BNA) in Calatrava, La Castellana, and Moises Padilla last month.
The BNA and Data Profiling were conducted through the Provincial Fishery Office in Negros Occidental with assistance from the Municipal Agriculture Offices.
The said activity was attended by the LGU and the members of the identified SAAD beneficiary association--Lemery Multipurpose Fisherfolk Association (LMFA) of Brgy. Lemery, Calatrava; Magallon Fish Farming Association (MFFA) of Moises Padilla; and Dama Farm Workers Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Association (DAFWARBA) of Brgy. Cabacungan, La Castellana.
Based on the results of the BNA, the Lemery Multipurpose Fisherfolk Association proposed the implementation of community-based fishing supply store and mangrove eco-trail projects as an additional source of income for their association and its members.
The MFFA of Moises Padilla requested to have a community-based freshwater hatchery in order for them to have a nearby source of fingerlings in the area.
For the DAFWARBA, they proposed to utilize the existing concrete water tanks for tilapia culture prior to dispersing it to their sugarcane areas. They also want to address their main problem in water shortage, especially during drought season for them to culture continuously whole year round.
"The Beneficiary Needs Assessment is an important step towards achieving the goals of the SAAD program. By identifying the needs and recommended projects of the beneficiaries, we can ensure that our implementation of the program will lead to sustainable development and better livelihoods for the communities involved,” said Marian Jill Abeto BFAR Negros Occ. In-charge.
The information gathered from the beneficiaries includes the status of their association, their current livelihood activities, commodities or products produced, target markets, and challenges encountered in their areas. The beneficiaries also discussed their proposed projects for 2023 and up to 2026 for assessment of viability in their area.
The BNA aims to identify the needs of the beneficiaries and propose appropriate projects that will provide sustainable support to their livelihood. The data gathered during the conduct of BNA will serve as the basis for the implementation of projects in SAAD Phase II sites in Negros Occidental. (PR)