BY ADRIAN P. NEMES III
The Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) of Negros Occidental is distributing feeds to 24 poultry multiplier farms operated by local government units in the province as part of its input support to boost poultry productivity.
Each poultry multiplier farm will receive 10 bags of grower mash and crumbles that is a component in the establishment and enhancement of the poultry multiplier farms project, Provincial Veterinarian Renante Decena said.
The project is under the Provincial Animal Genetic Improvement Program (Pagip) for this year, and the distribution started on Jan. 22 and will be completed by Jan. 29, he said.
Provincial Veterinary District IV Field Unit head William Detore and personnel led the distribution to the first batch of recipient-farmers in the cities of Bago and La Carlota, and the towns of San Enrique, Pontevedra, and Valladolid. The LGUs with multiplier farms in five other districts will receive the feeds assistance on Jan. 25-29.
Decena said the feeds distribution is timely after the weather disturbance experienced by some LGUs recently as this will augment their feeds counterpart, adding that the poultry multiplier farm project was established by the provincial government in partnership with the recipient-LGUs.
He said this aims to sustain production efficiency of existing local breeds of free-range chickens and pekin ducks.
Under the project, the provincial government provides for the construction of the building, perimeter fence, electrical installation, brooder cages, incubator, and initial stocks and feeds.
The recipient-LGUs will be in charge of the land area and operate the farm as counterpart.
PVO records showed that free-range chicken multiplier farms in the province had an initial population of 1,585 breeding stocks. Some 4,170 heads were dispersed to farmer-raisers last year. For pekin ducks, the farms initially raised 1,791 heads.
Of that number, 405 heads were dispersed last year. Decena said the establishment and operation of multiplier farms is also a continuing project of the province through the PVO. Decena added that this is in consonance with the Abanse Negrense Development Agenda of the provincial administration, with the goal of capacitating LGUs with production facilities and breeder animals for genetic improvement, he added*
