DAR turns over egg layer project to strengthen Sibugay cooperative livelihood

The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has turned over an Egg Layer Production project with chicken shed materials and marketing assistance to the Tomitom Farmers Agrarian Reform Cooperative (Tomfarco) in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay, under the government’s Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty (PAHP) programme. The initiative was formally handed over on July 30, 2026, as part of efforts to build sustainable livelihood opportunities for agrarian reform beneficiaries.

According to the original report, the project includes 192 ready-to-lay chickens, chicken shed materials and marketing assistance to support the cooperative’s egg production enterprise. DAR officials said the project is intended to strengthen the cooperative, improve members’ income opportunities and pave the way for additional support from partner agencies.

The PAHP programme is a convergence initiative involving government agencies that aims to reduce poverty, mitigate hunger and improve food security. In this case, DAR presented the layer project not only as a poultry-based source of income but also as a way to support organised rural communities through enterprise development and collective management.

Similar layer chicken projects implemented by DAR in other parts of the Philippines have likewise aimed to provide cooperatives with an additional source of income through egg production, supported by training, market linkages and institutional assistance.

DAR officials urged Tomfarco members to manage the project responsibly and to maintain financial discipline, active participation and shared commitment. Cooperative leaders and local officials, in turn, expressed support for the initiative and said close community monitoring would be important to ensure its sustainability over time.

More broadly, poultry-based livelihood projects continue to be promoted by Philippine government agencies as a way to improve food security and diversify farmers’ income sources, reinforcing the role of small-scale poultry enterprises in supporting rural livelihoods and local food production.