GENERAL SANTOS CITY — The provincial government of South Cotabato has enlisted 34 farmers as initial beneficiaries of its newly-launched livelihood assistance program on organic farming.
Justina Navarrete, head of the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist, said Friday they signed a memorandums of agreement with the beneficiaries to facilitate the release of some P650,000 worth of livelihood assistance.
She said the assistance comprised of packages or modules for organic free range chicken production worth P15,000 each and organic goat production worth P30,000 each.
Some 24 beneficiaries availed of the modules for organic free range chicken production and 10 for organic goat production, she said.
“These are just the initial beneficiaries. We will expand the program later on to cover more farmers,” Navarrete said.
Dubbed “Organic Livelihood Assistance Program,” the initiative seeks to encourage more local farmers to adopt and practice organic farming and advocate safer and more cost-effective food production systems.
The program is a component of the provincial government’s Organic Agriculture Program, which has a funding of P5 million under the annual budget.
Such funding was provided for in Ordinance No. 26 or the Organic Agriculture Ordinance of South Cotabato.
Navarrete said the program also aims to provide viable and income-generating livelihood projects to organic farmers, especially those who are into poultry and small livestock production.
She said they adopted a rollover scheme wherein beneficiaries are required to turn over the offspring of the chickens and goats to the next beneficiary.
To ensure their sustenance, she said the beneficiaries will undergo a series of training programs through their office and the Provincial Veterinary Office. (Hydee Templonuevo/PNA)
