NTA is taking another step towards increasing income of farmers through its Beef Cattle Production Assistance Project (BCPAP).
For the new initiative, the agency has allocated P10 million from the Tobacco Farmers Production Assistance or Investment Outlay for 2020, under its Integrated Farming and Other Income Generating Activities Project (IFOIGAP).
According to NTA Administrator Robert Victor G. Seares Jr., the dispersal of the Brahman heifers is part of the livestock component of the agency’s five-year industry development plan, or the Sustainable Tobacco Enhancement Program. NTA is set to distribute 250 beef cattle to selected farmer-cooperators under its Tobacco Contract Growing System (TCGS) in the initial implementation of the project.
The dispersal started with the distribution of 35 heads in Abra on November 16, and 25 each in Ilocos Sur (1st District) on November 19, and Pangasinan (including Tarlac) on November 20.
The Branch Managers and senior staff spearheaded the dispersal in their respective areas, assisted by Project Consultant Dr. Mikael Benedict Carmelo G. Crisologo in the first three locations. Crisologo said that NTA is also expected to deliver beef cattle in Ilocos Norte, 2nd District of Ilocos Sur, La Union, Cagayan and Isabela.
The distribution will also be conducted in Candon Branch, 50 heads; La Union Branch, 25 heads; Ilocos Norte Branch, 35 heads; Isabela Branch, 25 heads; and Cagayan Branch, 25 heads.
Online training
The Branch Offices conducted beef cattle production training on October 26 to project implementers and farmer beneficiaries.
Speaking online from the Central Office in Quezon City to the project implementers in the provincial branch offices, Administrator Seares said that the project will help jumpstart the beef cattle industry in the tobacco growing provinces and will also forward the vision of the Department of Agriculture for advancing food sufficiency in the country.
The new initiative took off during the term of the late Administrator Robert L. Seares as a production and marketing intervention for the tobacco farmers.
NTA already has an established production and marketing intervention for the tobacco farmers through its NTA Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita (formerly AgriPinoy Projects), with its value-adding component, the Tobacco Farmers Food Processing and Trading Center.
Per project guidelines, prospective farmer-cooperators must be registered tobacco farmers with the NTA and under the Registry System for the Basic Sector in Agriculture and Fisheries (RSBSA). They must be willing to undergo cattle production training, and have the capability to provide cattle shed housing and equipment, labor, adequate grazing area, supplementary feed, and clean water source.
As an initial step, the project implementers will conduct training/seminar to the farmer cooperators on cattle production, including grazing land development and organic feed production.
Other essential project components include production technology package, artificial insemination services, and technical support services/animal health services.
Production assistance shall be repaid with two 12-month-old cows, the first and third offsprings, within a maximum period of six years. The first offspring is the repayment which is to be loaned out immediately to next-in-line or downline farmer cooperator, and the third offspring for the second repayment, to be sold out as income of the agency to recover investment.
— with Reports from NTA Abra, Pangasinan