Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur / Labason, Zamboanga del Norte – The Department of Agriculture (DA), through its National Livestock Program (NLP) under the Livelihood Economic Enterprise Development (LEED) Project, has turned over two major livelihood packages worth a total of ₱5.5 million to farmers’ associations in the Zamboanga Peninsula, aiming to strengthen livestock production and uplift smallholder farmers.
On August 22, 2025, the Gubac Farmers Association in Barangay Gubac, Pagadian City, received a ₱2.5-million Carabao Multiplier Farm package. Just two days earlier, on August 20, 2025, the New Salvacion Farmers Association in Labason, Zamboanga del Norte, was granted a ₱3-million Goat Multiplier Farm package.
The LEED Project is designed to enhance the genetic quality of native livestock—such as carabaos and goats—while also expanding the overall population of ruminants in local communities. The initiative ultimately seeks to improve farm productivity, sustain livestock-based livelihoods, and keep the country’s animal industry competitive in the long run.
Each livelihood module comes complete with a housing facility for the animals, high-quality breeding stocks (25 heads of carabao for Gubac and 27 upgraded goats for Labason), feeds, veterinary medicines and biologics, and feed processing equipment.
For small farmers, these projects are more than just livestock dispersal—they represent long-term investments in food security and rural enterprise. Carabaos, long valued as draft animals and milk producers, remain central to farm productivity, while goats provide high-value meat and dairy products that are in increasing demand. By supplying quality genetics, the DA hopes to encourage farmers not just to sustain their own needs but also to participate in a more robust local market for livestock and livestock products.
The DA emphasized that these interventions form part of its broader strategy to provide sustainable livelihood opportunities, promote agripreneurship, and build resilience among rural communities in the Zamboanga Peninsula.