DA Caraga, LGU Unite to Boost Livestock Industry

" In unity, there is strength."

This is the principle that holds government livestock expert in Caraga Region to unite and conduct "bayanihan" system in serving the livestock industry.

Heat synchronization for large ruminant

Dubbed as Joint Livestock Outreach Program held on July 23 to 27, 2018, the group serves the farmers in the Province of Dinagat Islands (PDI) particularly in the towns of Cagdianao, San Jose and Dinagat.

The group was comprised of pool of experts from the Department of Agriculture (DA) Caraga through its livestock section and the Regional Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (RADDL), livestock technicians from local government units of Butuan City, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Sur and PDI.

Farmers were able to access services such as heat synchronization and artificial insemination for ruminants, deworming, vitamin supplementation, blood sampling and surra disease treatment.

A total of 128 farmers were served with their various farm animals such as cattle, carabao, horse, goat, poultry and swine.

Carlos Ringga, 57, a resident of Purok 3, Sta. Rita, Cagdianao, PDI brought his two carabaos during the bayanihan to avail the services being offered.

“I am so thankful that the government is bringing this kind of services of us. It is a big help for my animals as they are my partner in tilling my farm planted with cassava and camote,” Ringga said.

Veterinarian Esther Cardeño,  who is the chief of RADDL, explained that it is important that animals should be physically checked for early detection of any disease or abnormalities.

“No amount of medical treatment is as effective as early detection. This is our first line of defense against any diseases,” Cardeño said.

The bayanihan team regularly conducts its outreach program in different municipalities in Caraga Region to cater the needs of the farmers especially in areas who lack manpower in catering farm animals in their locality. (Aurelius Arais/DA-Caraga)

                                                                     

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Reaching Out the Farmers through IEC Materials

Reading materials reinforces learning.

Municipal Agriculturist Theresa Ilogon of Madrid, Surigao del Sur said that information and education campaign (IEC) materials helped them in teaching the farmers.

“We are so thankful that DA regularly distributed IEC materials for our farmers, it’s a big help for them,” Ilogon said.

DA Caraga IEC Distribution to LGUs

She said that it is easier to teach the farmers if there are reading materials on hand than lecture alone.

“We will be conducting a meeting with farmers every now and then, such as meeting with members of the Municipal Agriculture and Fishery Council (MAFC), we can use IEC materials from DA for their additional learning,” Ilogon said.

With reading materials delivered by DA Caraga, it reinforces also their desire to maintain Farmers Information Technology Center wherein they can display various information collaterals for access of the farmers.

Meanwhile, Neptali Palero, agriculture technologist of Cagwait, Surigao del Sur appreciated the IEC materials as it will reinforce their lectures in line with the observance of the nutrition month of July.

“This nutrition month, we have various lectures on the importance of vegetables so this reading materials provided by DA will be of great help,” Palero said.

DA Caraga through the Regional Agriculture Information Section regularly produced and distributed IEC materials to local government units as part of its information collaterals covering across commodities such as livestock, high-value crops development program, organic agriculture, rice, corn and other agri-related information.

Aside from reading materials such as leaflets, booklets, and poster, DA Caraga also disseminates information through broadcast, audio video, and social media. (Aurelius P. Arais/DA Caraga)

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An Automotive Mechanic Turns Corn Farmer

“Corn farming is our family tradition and this is our life.”

Thus, says Renato Frias, 43 years old, a resident of Purok 3, Barangay Basa, Trento, Agusan del Sur, who owned a 3 hectares farm land. 

Renato Frias tendering his corn field

He said that he was nurtured in a farming environment, that is why despite of his academic achievement as an automotive mechanic, his love remains in tilling the soil.

“My mother is a farmer who managed to send us in school through corn farming, so I am following her steps so I can help my own children in sending them in school too,” Frias said.

Kagawad Renato as fondly called since he was a former barangay councilor said that aside from corn, he is planting also various vegetables. 

“Upon harvest of corn, I won’t sell everything right away, I will spare some for value adding so I can sell it on much higher price for additional income, I would sell it during flea market every Saturday together with my vegetables,” Frias said.

He said that aside from selling corn kernel, Kagawad Renato also sells crack corn, corn grits and corn bran.

Aside from his family who help him in the farm, he hired ten persons mostly his neighbor especially during planting season, thereby contributing employment on his community.

To be resilient on climate change, he patterned his planting schedule on weather condition.

“In a year, we are going to plant two times on corn, the third one will be rice, so we will be harvesting three times to maximize the time and the weather pattern,” he said.

He also revealed that he is following the technology he learned during trainings particularly Integrated Pest Management (IPM).

“I am so grateful to the Department of Agriculture and to local government unit of Trento, because once, I was hailed as an outstanding young farmer and an outstanding 4-H of the year and was given the opportunity to travel to Japan for an 8^th month training with the helped of LGU and Department of Agriculture,” he narrated.

As fruit of his labor, Kagawad Renato was able to own a farm tractor, a great help in preparing his farm and also serves his neighboring farms for a minimal fee.

Currently, Kagawad Renato is a cluster leader in three barangay, the Manat-Basa-Tudela or MABATU corn cluster in the said town.

“Corn farming is a viable livelihood and a stable source for family’s income,’ he concluded. (Aurelius P. Arais/DA Caraga)

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