CITY OF TABUK, Kalinga (PIA) - - The Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) program  expands its coverage in the province to  14 barangays  for 2021 with 1,189  new beneficiaries 

The four phases of social preparation which include profiling of eligible beneficiaries who will implement SAAD projects on fruit trees and high-value crops, poultry, and livestock were already completed.

Community Development Officer Mowanah Marie Jovellanos said social preparation is one component of the SAAD program that aims to empower stakeholders involved like farmers, fisherfolk, and local government units through a series of meetings and training. She said it took them six months to complete the profiling aspect of the social preparation involving data collection and geotagging of eligible beneficiaries.

“On the third phase, beneficiaries in coordination with partner-LGUs participate in the identification of suitable livelihood interventions. The fourth phase of the process is the formation of a farmers’ association and assisting in securing their accreditation as an organization,” Jovellanos said.

Of the 14 organized groups that underwent training on organizational development and management, two were accredited by the Department of Labor and Employment and DA. Farmer-members were also trained on fundamentals on project management, basic accounting, and bookkeeping to provide them with initial knowledge in managing their funds.

With social preparation activities done, the awarding of interventions to the first set of recipients is scheduled on the third week of July.

SAAD beneficiary Mary Jane Bacodong of Nambucayan, this city is thankful for the free training for farmers like her. “Agyaman kami iti panang-conduct yu iti daytuy libre a pa-training ken iti panang-imbitaryu kanyami ta nu sabali ket adda bayad na dagituy nga pa-training. Makatulong nga talaga daytuy ti maysa nga organisasyon tapnu agtuluy-tuloy latta iti operasyon na,” she said. (We are thankful for this free training given to us. Such training isn’t free with other groups. This is really helpful in keeping an organization running.)

In a related development, 30 SAAD program beneficiaries from three farmer cooperatives in Pasil municipality recently went through coaching on Farm Biosecurity for Swine Production.  Participants were from Pugong SAAD Organization, Omawilan Organization, and Guina-ang Pasil Farmers’ Association.

The activity was in line with the Department of Agriculture's Swine Repopulation Program which aims to increase awareness and encourage beneficiaries to observe the proper biosecurity of farms and respond to threats.

The participants were coached on farm biosecurity measures to be implemented in their respective pigpens. As a start to practice biosecurity,   they   were provided the signage "No Entry" to be placed at the entrance of their pigpens. (JDP/PAB-PIA CAR, Kalinga with reports from Sheena Phine B. Pisco-Dayagon/ SAAD-Kalinga)