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[av_heading heading=’URBAN FARMER | Local goat production seen as a sunrise industry ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY JULIO P. YAP JR.
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Tuesday, May 2, 2017
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LOCAL goat production is considered as a sunrise industry. While majority of production, at 99 percent, is backyard, commercial investors are seen increasing since the turn of the millennium.
The production now stands at a meager 3.71 million heads head in 2016.
This small population base can be traced to two basic factors – high slaughter rate and low productivity.
The Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (PCAARRD-DOST) says that low productivity stems from lack of knowledge on improved management practices and lack of access to quality breeders.
This leads to the dam having long production cycles of more than nine months with conception rate as low at 75 percent.
The kids, on the other hand, have high preweaning mortality rate (25 percent), and growth is slow and weight averages only 15 kilograms (kg) at market age.
Despite the low production level, demand for goat meat is robust, as goats slaughtered has always been higher than kids born alive.
At present, farmgate and carcass prices of goat are high, even higher than prices of beef.
This scenario is echoed across the country. In Isabela alone, annual demand is estimated at 142 metric tons (MT) – 20 MT for 4 big supermarkets in Ilagan, Cauayan, Roxas, and Santiago City; 102 MT for kambingan restaurants in at least 16 municipalities; and 20 MT for a processing company to be used in chevon canning.
However, the demand cannot be met, as this would mean slaughtering an average of 1,355 25-kg goats per month or 16,262hd/yr.
This means that currently there is much potential in goat production as supply cannot yet meet demand.
To address these gaps, a national goat science and technology (S&T) initiatives were laid down in a holistic way.
From 2008 to 2016, about 7 programs on goat have been funded by PCAARRD.
Training raisers on proper health management of kids also helped a lot in controlling kid mortality.
Adoption of proper housing design and confinement, late grazing, and strategic deworming along with giving of clean feeds all helped to curb preweaning mortality from 25 percent during project start to 4.49 percent as of December 2016.
The potential of producing authentic halal goat is a niche that SUCs in Region 12 has embarked on.
As of October 2015, the protocols on halal goat production has been developed and validated by the Muslim communities in Mindanao.
In fact they have been promoted in many forums and scientific gatherings.
Likewise, a laboratory-based haram detection protocol has been established and a haram test kit is currently being developed (for completion in 2018).
Three halal processed chevon products (jerky, sweet-cured and corned or shredded) have also been formulated, tested, and promoted and will soon be commercialized.
To promote these protocols and products, a Farmer Livestock School on Halal Goat Enterprise Management is being developed using the original FLS-GEM as take-off point.
This is expected to be pilot-tested in Region 12 and ARMM this year. (jaypeeyap@ymail.com/PN)
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