ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY – The Department of Agriculture (DA) has turned over a P2.4-million carabao multiplier farm to farmers in Titay town, underscoring the continuing importance of carabao dispersal programs for rural livelihoods and food security.
In a statement on Tuesday, November 25, the DA-Zamboanga Peninsula said the Titay East Corn Cluster Association received the livestock package on Monday, November 24.
The initiative, implemented under the Livestock Economic Enterprise Development (LEED) project of the National Livestock Program, aims to support small-scale farmers through livestock modules that can be developed into viable local enterprises.
The package includes 21 carabaos, feeds and biologics, agri-marine inputs, and a forage chopper—resources intended to strengthen the community’s dairy and draft animal capacity.
The DA said the project is designed “to improve buffalo production by improving the genetic quality of native buffalo, increasing overall inventory, and promoting sustainability.”
Despite the ongoing shift toward mechanization, carabao dispersal programs remain relevant. In many rural areas—including parts of Zamboanga Sibugay—small farmers still rely on carabaos as affordable and dependable draft animals for land preparation and hauling.
Carabaos also support diversified livelihoods through meat, milk, and manure production, helping farmers cope with rising input costs and the impacts of climate change.
Moreover, the DA’s livestock programs aim to rebuild the national herd, which has been weakened by decades of underinvestment and climate-induced disease outbreaks. By strengthening local breeding through community-based multiplier farms, the agency hopes to ensure a steady supply of healthier animals for more farmers in the region.
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