National Goat S&T Program: The Future of Goat Production
Although chevon or goat meat is considered a delicacy, not a lot of people have tasted it. In rural areas, goat meat is regularly served as “caldereta” in birthday, wedding, and fiesta celebrations. In the metro, however, people rarely get to eat goat meat. Consumers often choose to purchase beef, pork, or chicken for their meat dishes.
However, experts from the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD) say that a lot of health-conscious consumers opt to eat chevon because of its lower fat content. Since the current supply does not meet the increasing demand, goat meat fetches a very high price in the market. Still, goat production must be improved to ensure a stable supply in the future.
Several factors contribute to poor goat production. First, a female goat generally only bears one to two kids per kidding. It then takes about eight months or more until a doe can produce kids, making goat breeding a slow process. Furthermore, it takes around eight months until a goat is ready to be slaughtered for its meat. Also, a goat’s slaughter weight only averages 15 kg for native goats and about 3o kg for upgrades and crosses.
Saving the goat industry
To boost goat production in the country, PCARRD developed the National Goat Science and Technology (S&T) Program, which completes in 2011. The program aims to produce a stable supply of good quality breeder and uniform slaughter goats that would meet the demand for goat products and provide livelihood for farmers.
It consists of five major programs that deal with enhancing productivity through improved genetics, proper feeding and nutrition, better health manage-ment, and enhanced processing and value-adding of meat products.
2009 PCARRD’s National Goat S&T Program achieved several milestones in 2009.
First, better genetics were infused to backyard goat farms through the joint efforts with the private sector and local government units. Generally, the goats in the project areas weighed heavier in every stage of growth compared to the figures gathered before the project was implemented. The birth, weaning, and slaughter weights averaged 2.31 kg, 13.3 kg, and 24.4 kg, respectively.
Pre-weaning deaths also decreased to an average of n.6%. Meanwhile, conception rate increased to 83%.
To improve breeding, researchers in Isabela developed semen extender mixtures in powder form. With extenders, more female goats can be inseminated with fresh or frozen semen. Even with a limited number of quality breeder male goats, the quality and number of goats in the country can be increased.
Next, researchers are developing cheaper alternatives to enhance goat health. For instance, they have generated the optimum ratio combinations for the mixture from “caimito,” “makahiya,” and “makabuhay” leaves that can be a herbal alternative to expensive synthetic dewormers.
The program also designed and fabricated a pelletizing machine that can produce 120 kg of pelletized total mixed rations (TMR) in an hour. These pellets can be stored and used as feeds during the dry season when fresh feeds are scarce. Growing goats fed with these pellets, made from “ipil-ipil” and rensoni leaves, increased in weight after 120 days.
Likewise, forage feedbanks and food-feed modules are being studied to complement the biomass requirement for TMR and leaf meal production and how feed resources can be made available under different cropping patterns year round.
In the area of processing, the slaughter and carcass yields of goats at different ages and breeds are being recorded. Likewise, meat quality is being evaluated and meat cuts are being standardized.
Rural enterprise development
To elevate goat keeping into profitable enterprises, the program also introduced innovative production systems starting December 2007 that led to the adoption of goat-based enterprises in Regions 1,2,3, and 8. Because of this, significant improvements in farmer’s internal and social competencies were seen, which translated to improved farm productivity.
Considering these significant results, the program has been upscaled in 2009 with the target areas expanded and the number of farmer-beneficiaries increased, giving priority to the returning overseas Filipino workers OFWs, displaced domestic and overseas workers, government retirees, and soon-to-retire employees.
Production of legume seedlings, urea molasses multi-nutrient blocks, and breeder goat has also been added to the goat-based enterprises on community slaughter and marketing, and buck-for-hire.
Tech-transfer initiatives
The program also developed and promoted several science-based development projects. These projects encourage farmers to adopt the practices and technologies developed by PCARRD’s goat program.
Twelve S&T based Farms (STBF) were implemented to showcase component technologies on goat production. These STBFs demonstrate the benefits of science-based interventions in goat farms.
Meanwhile, local government units in Regions 1 and 3 are implementing the “Farmer Livestock School on Integrated Goat Management” that aims to enhance the gains of the goat program at the backyard level.
Online courses on the science of goat production by PCARRD courseware developer Anna Marie P. Alo are also available via the Agricultural Training Institute–Department of Agriculture sponsored website, www.e-extension.gov.ph.
By Christian Anthony T. Cangao, S&T Media Service
