Mariano Marcos
State University

MMSU trains IP community on alternative feeds for sustainable livestock production

By Dhanie John Padulip

Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU), through the Extension Directorate and the College of Agriculture, Food, and Sustainable Development (CAFSD), trained an Indigenous Peoples (IP) community in Barangay San Marcelino, Dingras, about “Indigenous and Locally Available Feed Resources (ILAFR)” to help reduce production costs and promote sustainable livestock management. 

The training introduced local swine raisers to alternative feed resources drawn from local crops and agricultural by-products, while promoting resource-efficient practices and the active participation of both women and men in farm management and household decision-making. 
 

The Extension Directorate invited Dr. Sean R. Vidad of CAFSD and Dr. Susan Aquino of the Research Directorate as resource speakers. Vidad discussed ILAFR, covering basic pig nutrition, their nutritional value and challenges, processing and preparation techniques, and appropriate feeding strategies and rations. Meanwhile, Aquino shared her expertise on gender-responsive swine production. 

The activity was initiated through a request from Ms. Evangeline Libungan, an Isneg community member and an MMSU School-on-the-Air (SOA) graduate, who sought to share with her community the knowledge she gained from the university’s SOA program. 

Having observed that her learnings from SOA are particularly relevant to their community because of its proximity to the mountains where locally available resources could potentially be utilized as alternative feed materials, Libungan requested for a training to be held in her community. 

“I got very interested in our last topic (during the SOA), and had the idea to share the knowledge with the community,” Libungan said.

Meanwhile, IP leaders expressed appreciation for MMSU’s efforts to bring agricultural technologies closer to their community. IP Chieftain Danny Magno thanked the University for choosing their area as the training venue, while IP Elder Pedro Magno encouraged participants to apply their learnings to improve livestock production and income. 

The training forms part of MMSU’s continuing efforts to bring science-based agricultural technologies and capacity-building programs to rural and indigenous communities through its extension initiatives.
 

Led by Dr. Marlowe Aquino, the MMSU Extension Directorate continues to strengthen partnerships with Ilokano communities and stakeholders in delivering relevant technologies and capacity-building programs under the university's SUCCEED Agenda.

The initiative also received support from the Municipal Agriculture Office of Dingras, the Department of Agriculture-Regional Field Office 1 (DA-RFO 1), and various local agricultural agencies and industry partners.