Mitigating food insecurity through mallard duck egg production: The case of a rural community in the Philippines

Poverty, food insecurity, and lack of employment opportunities are fundamental issues experienced in the rural Philippines. They were worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, which adversely impacted vulnerable sectors. This study examined the potential and viability of mallard duck egg production in a rural community in the Philippines. Twelve (12) rural women in Licab, Nueva Ecija, received 482 heads of ready-to-lay mallard ducks (Itik Pinas breed) as part of the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office III's livelihood initiatives. Data were gathered using a participatory research design through a household profile survey, focus group discussion, and descriptive statistics. The study findings showed that the respondents live below the poverty line and have an average monthly income of ₱2,083.33. The study revealed that during the 18 months of egg production, the recipients were able to harvest a total of 144,534 eggs. This provided the respondents with a gross income of ₱929,838.75 and a net gain of ₱341,156.89, corresponding to an average monthly net income of 1,579.43 per respondent. This allowed each respondent to improve their household income by up to 64.12%. Peak egg output was 76% or 60.33% on average. This study also showed the resiliency of rural women, who utilized locally accessible resources to reduce production costs.