Assessment of Smallholder Poultry Raisers and Their Contribution to Agricultural Livelihoods in Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur, Philippines

This study assessed the socio-demographic profile, production practices, livelihood contributions and operational constraints of smallholder poultry raisers in Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur, Philippines.

Using a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design, data were gathered from 240 randomly selected raisers and 15 key informants.

Results revealed that the enterprise is dominated by middle-aged women (62.5%) with low to moderate educational attainment, who engage in poultry raising as a secondary livelihood activity. Native or indigenous chicken was the primary breed raised (78.3%), managed under semi-confinement or free-range systems with low-input feeding and health practices. Poultry farming contributed an average of 38.2% to total annual household income, increased animal protein consumption by 2.1 times and strengthened social capital through participation in farmers' organizations. Major constraints identified were high cost of feeds (92.1%), disease outbreaks and high mortality (85.4%), low genetic quality of native stocks, unfavorable market prices and limited access to credit and technical services. The study concludes that smallholder poultry production is a vital, multi-functional activity that sustains livelihoods, enhances food security and builds community resilience. Context-specific intervention including improved native breeds, feed supplementation programs, veterinary support and collective marketing systems are recommended to enhance productivity, profitability and development impact in the municipality.