CEBU CITY – A livelihood program exclusive to backyard hog raisers will be implemented in Dumanjug town in southern Cebu wherein farmers will be given free swine and technical support to boost the town’s swine production.
Dumanjug Mayor Gungun Gica said the town has partnered with a hog feeds manufacturer as part of the program.
“This is in line with the direction of our President Bongbong Marcos Jr. to focus on farmers, to focus on agriculture,” Gica said during the signing of a memorandum of agreement with the United Nutrition and Animal Healthcare Co. (UNACHO) on Monday, August 1.
“In our town, we want to ensure that our backyard farmers are raising quality swines. There is a need to upgrade the quality of swines they are raising,” added Gica.
The town has 37 barangays and Gica said that most of the residents are into backyard hog raising.
Gica added that he will reach out to the mayors of the Seventh District to convince them to come up with a similar program.
Dumanjug belongs to Cebu’s seventh district. The other towns belonging to the district are Alcantara, Alegria, Badian, Dumanjug, Ginatilan, Malabuyoc, Moalboal and Ronda.
“We will appeal to our neighboring local government units to implement a program such as this so that farmers will be taught how to properly handle and manage their farm. This will help them avoid wasting their time and effort,” Gica said.
Aside from conducting seminars on hog raising, UNAHCO will also provide technical support.
“We will provide technical research and we will take care of the seminars in municipalities or barangays,” said Joey Clenn Talaman, feed sales representative of UNAHCO.
With the program, UNAHCO will ensure that the farmers’ hogs are healthy.
“We will be monitoring the health of the swine through our technicians so as to prevent deaths,” Talaman said, The program will be exclusive for backyard hog raisers or those with 10 or less sows.
Also under the program, UNAHCO will be dispersing free swines to farmers.
Once a dispersed swine gives birth, two piglets will be given for free to other beneficiaries.
“This project is very timely because our backyard farmers were badly affected by last year’s typhoon Odette,” said Gica.
Gica said the project will also involve orientation where farmers will be taught how to prevent the spread of African Swine Fever (ASF).