A LA UNION province-based university has received P10 million from the Department of Agriculture (DA) for the establishment of a swine multiplier and technology demonstration farm (SMTD).

Agriculture Secretary William Dar said the fund from DA is to help boost the hog industry through the Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University (DMMMSU) Pig Extension and Research Farm (PERF).

Dr. Chester Libong, DMMMSUPERF manager, said under a memorandum of agreement (MoA), the university has partnered with the Agriculture department to boost the hog industry in Region 1 (Ilocos Region) through the establishment of SMTD.

Recently, Dar was in Santa Barbara

town in Pangasinan province for the MoA signing for the SMTD project and test run of a rice processing center there.

Libong noted the project is under the National Livestock Program (NLP) Stimulus Project Package I of the Bayanihan Act 2, which intends to contribute to the improvement of the genetic makeup of productive gilts or sows and increase the supply of safe and nutritious pork through the annual production of finishers.

He said the NLP also aims to provide a venue for training, extension and learning of farmers, students and interested individuals, and to support the DA and other government agencies’ swine-based livelihood programs by producing adequate and quality stocks to supply these programs.

“Through the DMMMSU and DA partnership, not only agricultural teachers and students of veterinary of state colleges and universities who will benefit from the project but also the government livestock technicians and extensionists,” Libong said.

He said farmer leaders of agribased people’s organizations will also benefit from the project including small- and mediumscale pig farmers; animal feed/ drug technical personnel and veterinarians.

It will also indirectly benefit the feed millers, corn growers, meat processors, middlemen, consumers, pig raisers and other stakeholders of the industry, Libong added.