City agri dep’t boosts livestock farming

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Agriculture Department (CAD) is extending assistance to those who want to go into livestock farming with different services offered to them.

CAD’s livestock coordinator Nora Bordadora, via Sugboanon channel, said her team is willing to assist aspiring animal farmers in livestock dispersal, free vitamin supplementation, free deworming, and animal treatment.

So far, CAD is able to assist 260 farmers in deworming 950 animals so far.

Aside from that, CAD also offers artificial insemination, and testing for the African Swine Flu (ASF) for swine farmers.

Aside from ASF, CAD also helps in treating animal diseases like fever and cervical prolapse alongside the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries.

Those who are also interested in livestock farming also need not worry too much as there is also insurance in case of death and disease on their animals.

CAD will be assisting farmers to have their livestock insured with the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) through its Livestock Mortality Insurance program.

The insurance covers swine, cattle, carabaos, goats, sheep, chickens, ducks, and horses.

Cattle and carabaos aged seven months to 17 years can be insured at P20,000 per 10 animals a farmer owns while swine aged 45 days to six months can get livestock insurance worth P14,500 and P10,000 for fattened pigs and goats worth P6,000 of insurance while chicken farmers can avail of insurance for as much as P50 to P1,000 depending on the number of heads a farmer own. -  GMR (FREEMAN)