Magsaysay, Davao del Sur is moving forward with a P148.19-million integrated livestock enterprise designed to modernize meat and dairy processing, improve food safety and create wider market opportunities for local farmers.
The Department of Agriculture, through the World Bank-assisted Philippine Rural Development Project Scale-Up, has issued a No Objection Letter 1 for the P148,195,721.47 project. The approval allows the municipal government and its partner, the San Isidro Magsaysay Agriculture Cooperative, to proceed with procurement and civil works.
The project addresses long-standing limitations in Magsaysay’s livestock value chain, particularly the municipality’s aging abattoir and limited milk-processing capacity.
The existing municipal abattoir, which was built in 2003, can process only about five hogs a day. Meanwhile, the cooperative’s existing milk facility has struggled to accommodate increasing supplies of raw goat milk.
Under the new project, Magsaysay will establish a modern National Meat Inspection Service-accredited Double “A” abattoir equipped with biosecure holding areas, chilling facilities and refrigerated transport.
A goat’s milk processing facility will also be established with Food and Drug Administration approval and compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices. The facility has been described by the DA as the first of its kind in Mindanao under the project.
The investment is expected to strengthen the entire livestock and dairy value chain, from production and processing to distribution and market access.
According to project estimates, the initiative could increase annual net income among goat raisers selling live animals by 79.98 percent. Dairy goat farmers could see a projected 37.96-percent increase in income as processed milk gains access to additional markets, including institutional buyers and school feeding programs.
The project is expected to benefit 1,330 stakeholders, including 1,281 livestock raisers, 23 meat shop owners and 26 dairy cooperative members. Among the beneficiaries are 230 members of the B’laan and Bagobo Indigenous communities.
Employment is another expected impact. Project estimates indicate that construction could generate 215 jobs, while the completed facilities are expected to create 37 permanent positions once operations begin.
The project also incorporates waste management. The San Isidro Magsaysay Agriculture Cooperative already operates an organic processing facility that uses rotary composters from the DA-Bureau of Soils and Water Management to convert agricultural and food waste into soil amendments.
The investment follows the Regional Project Advisory Board’s earlier approval of the Integrated Livestock Enterprise in June. The project was designed to address bottlenecks that have affected local livestock producers, including limited processing facilities and restricted access to formal markets.
The DA’s official PRDP project database currently lists the Magsaysay Integrated Livestock Enterprise as being in the procurement stage, with NOL1 received by the implementing proponent.
With procurement and civil works now able to proceed, the project marks a significant step toward upgrading Magsaysay’s livestock infrastructure.
For local farmers, the expected change extends beyond a new abattoir and milk-processing plant. The project could provide additional avenues for selling livestock and dairy products, improve processing standards and connect producers to markets that require more consistent food-safety and quality controls.
The next phase will determine how quickly the facilities are built, equipped and brought into operation—and whether the planned investment delivers the projected gains for farmers, workers and the wider livestock industry in Davao del Sur.
