The Department of Agriculture (DA) has completed the distribution of 60 carabaos to target farmer-recipients in the upland municipality of San Remigio in Antique, under its Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) program.

SAAD Antique Assistant Provincial Coordinator Jovie Brasileño said in an interview Tuesday the first delivery of 34 heads was done on November 3 while the second batch of 26 heads was distributed on December 3.

“The carabaos were given to the farmer-beneficiaries who are members of farmer associations in the municipality,” she said.

The turnover to the Sumaray Upland, Sinundulan Upland, Osorio I, Lumpatan and Nagbangi II farmers’ associations was led by San Remigio Mayor Margarito Mission Jr.

The carabaos were given as grant to the farmers who could use the animals to till their lands and to help them in their livelihood, Brasileño said.

“We are just requesting among the farmers to really take care of the carabaos for it could really help them a lot,” she said.

Brasileño also said since the carabaos were given through the farmers’ associations, it now depends on these groups if they would come up with an agreement with their members on how they could sustain the dispersal project.

In an interview, Ike Gregorio, president of the farmers’ association in Barangay Agricula, San Remigio, said they agreed that the first and second suckling of the carabao would be given back to their group so that they could distribute it again to the other members. (PNA)