Kalanganan milkfish growers enjoy bountiful harvest through MAFAR-BARMM
COTABATO CITY – After five months of rearing milkfish (Bangus) in stationary or fixed net enclosures (cage), members of the Maguindanao United Agrifarm Producers Cooperative (MUAPC) in this city are finally enjoying the fruits of their labor with a bountiful harvest.
On February 5, MUAPC Vice-Chairman Hadji Esmael T. Lanta, in an interview on Saturday, said they harvested this week more than 3 MT of “bangus” (milkfish).
Lanta said he is very grateful to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform (MAFAR) for helping them with their project noting that this was beneficial as it has improved the livelihood of association members.
“We, the 28 MUAPC members, have taken care of the 10 x 15 sq.m. cage, which has 6,000 pcs of stocks (Bangus fingerlings), with a routine schedule in monitoring and feeding it every day,” he said.
Lanta noted that the proceeds from the harvested fish this week would be used by the cooperative to keep the project rolling.
Fisheries Director-General Pendatun S. Patarasa said that the Cooperative managed the cage as part of their livelihood program.
MAFAR-BARMM provided them with livelihood assistance of 15 sacks of feeds (5 sacks of crumble, 5 sacks of starter, and 5 sacks of grower).
Patarasa also said that the office had conducted technical assistance thru lectures to the MUAPC members that equipped them with additional knowledge on the culture and management of fish in net cages. The Bangus has high market demand not only in Cotabato but mainland Mindanao because of its Halal sense as it was grown by Muslim growers.
He said that experts in Aquaculture are closely monitoring the condition of the milkfish to minimize mortality until harvest time.
“The project is part of the Fisheries Production Division Aquaculture Development Program of the MAFAR-BARMM to promote cultured fish cage in augmenting the supply for fish consumption and give additional income to fisherfolk in these communities,” Patarasa added.
Chairman Datu Maceda T. Yusop noted that the Manakolil River, Sitio Timaco, Kalanganan 2, Cotabato City, where the milkfish cage is situated, is ideal for culturing sinagid where a good specie thrives in the said area. Because of that, they were considering culture siganid or locally known as dangit in another cage in the near future.