PILA, Laguna – 20 farmers received free range chicken starter kits, consisting of chicks, chick booster, D1 Darak, and a bottle of Probiotics.

ATI CALABARZON Center Director, Marites Piamonte-Cosico and Pila town mayor, Hon. Edgardo Ramos and Municipal Agriculturist (MA), Camilo Palacol handed them over during the closing ceremony of the ATI-led training last September 17, 2020.

Farmers received the starter kits as after-training support upon completion of the “Training Course on Organic Free Range Chicken Production,” which was facilitated by the Municipal Agriculture Office of Pila, and funded by the Center.

Salvado Banocnoc, one of the participants was very thankful to become a part of the said training.

“Maraming salamat po sa Agricultural Training Institute sa programa na ganito. Malaki po ang maitutulong nito sa amin, lalo na sa panahon ngayon na mayroon tayong pagsubok na kinakaharap: ang pandemya,” Banocnoc shared.

MA Palacol who served as resource person in the two-day training talked about the prospects of organic free range chicken industry, housing foraging area and equipment, free range production technologies and practices and some economic tools and sample cost and return analysis.

The training held last September 16-17, 2020 is part of the government’s efforts in promoting back to basic free range chicken production for meat and eggs, that are safe and healthy, and consistent with the Department of Agriculture’s mandate of producing food for the Filipinos.

With reports: Soledad Leal