Capitol to disperse swine to aid El Niño-affected farmers

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

The provincial government of Iloilo is eyeing the dispersal of swine among farmers whose livelihoods are affected by the impact of the El Niño phenomenon.

The provincial government has earmarked a P9 million budget for the initiative, with over P7 million allocated for the procurement of pigs and P2 million for acquiring feed.

“Aside from the sentinelling program for African swine fever (ASF) recovery, we need to implement an agricultural program to supplement our swine inventory. While we already have a program in place for rice, we also want to support the swine industry,” said Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. in a Tuesday press conference.

Fifteen towns unaffected by ASF have been identified as the primary recipients of this initiative. Local government units will determine eligible beneficiaries, each of whom will receive two piglets for rearing.

“We want to tailor a program for ASF recovery that is El Niño-oriented. The assistance, aside from agricultural inputs, will also include support for livestock since swine have lesser dependency on water,” Defensor added.

According to Defensor, the budget for the initiative may be sourced from the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management fund for El Niño or the Provincial Agricultural and Fisheries Extension Systems.

The swine dispersal program augments the provincial government’s financial and technical assistance to farmers affected by the effects of El Niño.

The province has allocated P15 million for the provision of insurance premium subsidies, which will be sourced from the 2023 budget.

Data from the provincial government show that production loss in Iloilo as of March 19 has reached P527 million, affecting 9,528 hectares and 10,292 farmers.

Dumangas reported the highest agricultural damage with P120,836,330, involving 1,489 farmers, followed by Anilao with P52,223,800 or 1,176 farmers, and Cabatuan with P42,881,524 or 1,023 farmers.