To jumpstart the implementation of the Integrated National Swine Production Initiatives for Recovery and Expansion (INSPIRE) Program, three (3) Farmer Cooperatives and Associations (FCAs) were awarded by Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar with P16.5M worth of grant. The awarding was conducted on April 12, 2022 at the Baguio Animal Breeding Research Center (BABRC), Dontogan, Baguio City.
INSPIRE is a 3-year Program that will implement a community-based swine production repopulation and expansion through farm clustering and consolidation. The purpose is to hasten the recovery of the hog industry by enhancing hog production to ensure the availability, accessibility, and affordability of swine and pork products. Also, this is to restore the swine production livelihood, increase the income and expand market opportunities for swine raisers.
Ruben Dulagan, Chief, Regulatory Division of DA-CAR, explained that in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), a total of P165M was allotted for the implementation of the Program. The Department of Agriculture will provide five million five hundred thousand pesos (P5,500,000.00) for every recipient. The fund will be used for the establishment of a Biosecurity Facility (inclusive of the perimeter fence, climate-controlled animal house, waste management, basic farm equipment, office, shower area) in a minimum land area of 2,000 square meters, provision of feeds and biologics; and provision of piglets.
During the awarding, Secretary Dar emphasized the importance of partnership with the private sectors in implementing this Program. “We have brought in the participation of the private sectors in this Program because they know the trend and they protect their industry, so they have to be brought in as partners of the FCAs. Let us spur this hog repopulation with this INSPIRE and I hope that the fight against the African Swine Fever (ASF) continuous until eliminated,” he remarked.
Further, he shared that during the ASF outbreak, more than 3,600 barangays all over regions really suffered. But now, there are only about 20 barangays in two regions of the country and in 5 provinces within those regions that are still suffering from ASF. This fact is a sign that ASF cases are now declining and it shows that we have the capacity to control and manage ASF.
Meanwhile, Leonardo Mayao, Jr., Itogon Agriculture Cooperative representative expressed his gratitude to the continuous efforts of the government through the DA Secretary on the New Thinking on Paradigm Shift. “For us who have been experiencing the outbreak of ASF at that time and without nowhere to go, we were so down. But when the assistance from the DA through the regional office is already coming, we were given high hopes. During the culling, it was hurting for a farmer like us but with the shift in agriculture technology this INSPIRE, inspired us to keep on farming,” he expressed.
The FCAs who were awarded are the Seeds and Fruits Multi-Purpose Cooperative; Itogon Agriculture Cooperative; and Abra Diocese Teachers and Employees Multi-Purpose Cooperative in Buguias Benguet, Itogon, Benguet, and Bangued, Abra, respectively.**LDM
