CorDisRDS Inc. in partnership with the Municipal Agriculture Office (MAO) of Barlig conducted an orientation on Hog Raising and Tilapia Culture in Kadaclan, Barlig, Mountain Province as part of the Farmer Field Business School (FFBS) livelihood component of Project INCREASE that is being implemented in the said municipality.
The two days’ activity was conducted on August 5-6, 2021 in Kadaclan Tourists Homestay Hall which was attended by community members of Kadaclan. The activity aims to give additional knowledge to the participants about Hog and Tilapia production since majority of the participants had experience in raising livestock and tilapia.
The topic on the first day of the activity was Hog Raising which was shared by the staffs from MAO. They shared about the advantages of hog raising, site selection and waste management, selection of stocks and management of sow. They also discussed about the African Swine Fever (ASF), other diseases concerning pigs and the proper actions or activities to minimize the effects of such diseases.
Moreover, they discussed the characteristics needed for those who want to engage in swine production. They also encouraged the participants to try the organic pig business.
Tilapia culture was the topic on the second day which was also shared by staffs from MAO. They discussed the different kinds of tilapia that are in the Philippines and the appropriate specie to be cultured in the highlands. They further discussed tilapia sex identification, breeding and spawning, water quality and the growth of tilapia. A workshop was conducted in record keeping in order to know if they will gain profit if they decided to do any livelihood.
The participants were receptive and interested in these topics since some of them rarely attend these kinds of activities. After hearing the lectures, one participant shared that by attending these kinds of trainings will help them improve since the Covid-19 pandemic affected their livelihood.
During the activity, the team selected twenty (20) committed women hog raisers in Kadaclan to be part of the FFBS to improve their productivity and access markets. It will also help them develop their leadership and management skills. The participation of women in the FFBS increases their self-esteem and enables them to take control of their lives.
The resource persons on detailed topics of hog raising and hands-on activities will be coming from the MAO of Barlig. The selected participants are expected to share what they learned in the FFBS among their fellow community members in order for their livelihoods to be sustainable.