Last Updated: Friday 9th of July 2010 01:27:00 AM -0600MDTFive livestock auction markets strategically located in Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao will be rehabilitated using a P33.9-million package under the Japanese Grant Assistance for Underpriveleged Farmers, the Japanese embassy in Manila said in a statement on Friday.
The two-year project targets the markets in the towns of Lemery in Batangas, Uson in Masbate, Zamboanguita in Negros Oriental, Kabankalan in Negros Occidental and Padada in Davao del Sur, deemed some of the busiest in the country.
About 1 million livestock growers are expected to directly benefit from this assistance.
The project, which will be implemented by the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) of the Department of Agriculture, is also expected to provide information on best practices that will help other livestock auction markets improve their operations.
The statement cited results of a BAI study showing that livestock farmers are able to increase their income by as much as 25% by using the facilities, which enable them to do away with traders and other middlemen.
On the average, the statement said, these markets capture about 80% of the animals traded in areas where they are located.
User Comments
This article hasn't been commented yet.