Villar welcomes third batch of farmers to sustainable pig farming training program

Sen. Cynthia Villar welcomed another batch of backyard swine farmers and agriculture enthusiasts to the sustainable pig farming training program at the Villar SIPAG Farm School in Bacoor, Cavite.

More than 30 participants coming from Calabarzon and the National Capital Region signed up for the training program conducted in partnership with theVillar Social Institute for Poverty Alleviation and Governance (Villar SIPAG) and the Agricultural Training Institute.

"Katulad ng iba pang training courses na ginawa namin, hangad namin na matulungan kayo na mapalago ang inyong mga kita sa pamamagitan ng pagbibigay ng mga dagdag na kaalaman sa inyo," Villar said in her welcome remarks.

Villar, who is expected to continue to lead the Committee on Agriculture and Food in the 18th Congress, noted that backyard hog-raising or pig farming is one of the alternative sources of additional income of many farmers because it requires only a small capital.

The Farmer's Livestock School on Sustainable Pig Farming will run for 16 to 18 weeks with once a week meeting at the site using various training methodologies. The program was designed to enable the farmer participants to see and experience raising pigs using the Sustainable Pig Farming System.

The program aims to enhance and provide an alternative, sustainable and affordable swine raising technology for commercial and backyard swine farmers. It also aims to explain the Sustainable Pig Farming Technology as an environment and health friendly technology.

The training program covers discussions on Housing for Sustainable Swine Farming; Types of Feeding; Herbal Medicine; Health Management and Record Keeping; Swine Diseases; Sow Management; Post-Harvest Technology; Meat Processing; Marketing and Economics; Global Warming and Climate Change; Animal Welfare Act; and Swine Industry Situationer and Trends.

To date, twenty batches have already been conducted in other areas and have shown positive results from the participants and partners. The most obvious success signs were the lowered feed cost, improved swine weight and better quality of the meat.