P5.5-M swine facility to aid CamSur farmers’ cooperative

BULA, Camarines Sur –Farmer-members of the Lirag Agrarian Reform Farmers Beneficiaries Cooperative (LARFBCO) will soon reap the benefits of swine production as the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) facilitated the turnover of a swine facility worth P5.5 million from the Department of Agriculture (DA).

The LARBCO received a 2,000-square-meter swine facility with a tunnel ventilation system, biogas facility, caretaker shower room, and perimeter fence.

“Aside from the modern swine facility, the cooperative also received 173 piglets to start its operation, with another 127 to follow in the weeks ahead,” said Chief Agrarian Reform Program Officer Gerry L. Matamorosa.

Matamarosa said that before the turnover, the DAR coordinated with the DA to help the Bula farmers recover from their losses from the African swine fever (ASF) that largely affected their production.

He said that the swine facility and the provision of piglets were given under DA’s Integrated National Swine Production Initiatives for Recovery and Expansion (INSPIRE) program, a joint effort of the government together with different stakeholders and institutions to help livestock growers recover from the adverse effects of the hog disease.

“The initiative also addresses the significant losses suffered by pig farms, the reduced supply of pork, and the resulting increase in pork meat prices due to the ASF outbreak,” Matamarosa said.

He said the program would speed up efforts to repopulate pigs so that there would be a steady supply of high-quality hogs. And this would also help the local market sell more high-quality pork.

“Under the leadership of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, and the directives of DAR Secretary Conrado Estrella III, we will continue to foster sustainable livelihood and backyard farming initiatives nationwide by working with other government agencies and bringing government services closer to the people,” Matamaroso said.