Kibawe town of Bukidnon is seen to further develop the swine industry of the locality through DA’s INSPIRE program.

 

KIBAWE, BUKIDNON — The Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10 (DA-10) turned over a biosecure swine facility and supplemental agricultural interventions, worth over P4.4-million (M) to the Local Government of Kibawe, Bukidnon on July 26, in Barangay Labuagon, this town.

Funded under the agency’s FY 2022 Integrated National Swine Production Initiatives for Recovery and Expansion (INSPIRE) program, DA-10 Regional Executive Director Jose Apollo Y. Pacamalan turned over the said facility amounting to more than P4-M to Kibawe mayor Reynaldo S. Ang Rabanes, and finally to the LASWIMBA Multipurpose Cooperative through chairperson Haide M. Taray.

Spanning a total area of 291.4 square meters, the climate-controlled biosecured facility houses 16 pigpens, each equipped with a self-feeder and watering mechanisms, and is able to accommodate some 240 pigs. Said facility also features end-to-end industrial exhaust fans for optimal airflow and waste management features.

Under the said program, DA-10 has also allocated PhP299,590 for a package of drugs and biologics, as well as P136,000 for two hog scales.

According to RED Pacamalan, the infrastructure cements the agency’s commitment to boost agricultural productivity in the region, to ensure increased income for local farmers and meet the demands of food security, outlined in the 9-point policy agenda of the Department under the leadership of DA Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr.

Citing agricultural development as a paramount consideration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., as evidenced in his State of the Nation Address (SONA) last July 22, RED Pacamalan also said that DA-10 will refine its efforts to collaborate with the local government units here, and introduce a digitized reporting of real-time, on-the-ground information, to aid its strategic delivery of services and interventions to farmer-groups in the province and the whole of Northern Mindanao.

Mayor Rabanes also conveyed his thanks to the agency and assured the town’s commitment to make full use of the facility in boosting local swine production.

“[We are challenged] to make full use of this facility that we have received from the DA, to prove how greatly beneficial it will be for our town. For ourselves, especially the recipient FCA, we are excited to deliver great results from this and for [the DA] to witness the development of our swine production,” the local chief executive said.

Further, the LASWIMBA Multipurpose Cooperative through Chairperson Taray has also cited the project’s impact on the livelihood of their cooperative’s farmer-members.

“We see that this project will help generate jobs for our farmer-members, especially our hog farmers, and the rest of the people in Kibawe. The project opens up opportunities to engage in pig farming, and ensures that there is employment and income to be made through this,” chairperson Taray said.

As part of the INSPIRE package intervention, DA has allocated and committed to the provision of breeder swine and swine feeds in the coming months to further operationalize the said facility.

Present in support of the event were Kibawe Municipal Vice-mayor Raymundo A. Batao, Jr., DPA; Municipal Agriculturist Remedios R. Tonacao; Sangguniang Bayan Committee on Agriculture and Cooperatives member Ronan R. Madelo; and Punong Barangay Danilo S. Dausin.

From the DA, Field Operations Division chief Luz I. Guzman, PhD; Provincial Operations Center – Bukidnon chief Janet D. Lopez, DVM; and Livestock Program focal person Jamaica L. Docdoc also supported the event.# (GDA)