Cres Ian Lorenzo
FARMERS in Batanes are now into cattle farming that was made possible through the Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) program implemented by the Department of Agriculture through its Region 2 office (DA-RFO2).
An initial distribution of 20 cattle in 2023 is now multiplying into wider livelihood opportunities for farmers in the northernmost province of the country.
The Kayvayvanan Umhakaw Nu Basco Farmers Association (KUNB-FA) in Basco, Batanes received the livestock starter package as pilot beneficiaries of the SAAD program for Region 2 (Cagayan Valley).
The 20 heads were allocated to 20 individual farmer-members to strengthen local breeding and livestock production.
Management was handled individually, with each beneficiary responsible for raising and breeding the animals assigned to them.
The early phase was not without setbacks. Four mortalities were recorded after distribution, a common risk in livestock dispersal programs, especially in remote island conditions where access to veterinary support and feed resources can be limited.
Despite the losses, the intervention has shown growth. To date, the association has produced 15 offspring from the remaining herd.
More importantly, the project has moved into a second cycle of distribution, with three heifer calves re-dispersed to three new members of the association who were not part of the original group of recipients.
The re-dispersal reflects a core strategy of the SAAD program — to turn a one-time grant into a continuing asset.
Instead of ending with the initial 20 farmers, the herd expansion allows benefits to extend to additional households, creating a multiplier effect.
For Batanes, where agriculture faces geographic isolation and limited production scale, livestock offers a relatively stable source of income and food security.
Cattle can serve as draft support, breeding stock, and a future source of cash through the sale of offspring.
For KUNB-FA, the increase from 20 heads to an additional 15 calves and three re-dispersals shows how proper care and breeding can sustain an intervention beyond its first year.
A member of the Kayvayvanan Umhakaw Nu Basco Farmers Association in Basco, Batanes, tend to cattle raised from among the initial 20 heads distributed under the Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) program implemented by the Department of Agriculture (DA) through its Region 2 office. DA PHOTO
