Goat raising pushed to alleviate poverty

CEBU, Philippines - The multi-agency-led Rural Enterprise Development – Innovative Goat Production System (RED-IGPS) aims to make goat production in the Philippines as one of the poverty alleviating tools and to encourage farmers to be entrepreneurs.

 “Goat production is already a successful poverty alleviation program. We just need to upgrade our systems so that it will become truly grounded as an enterprise among small farmers,” said BAR Director Nicomedes P. Eleazar.

RED has introduced a new program that can raise by more than 80 percent of a farm’s goat production and generate more income for the P13.2 billion industry of specialty chevon meat.

This program has been piloted in areas like La Union and Pangasinan.

This resulted in goats’ improved reproductive performance, improved capacity to produce milk and to sustain nutrient needs of their offspring called kids, and faster fattening ability that allows for earlier slaughter.

Eleazar said the project has the potential to boost nationally goat inventory, presently at 3.3 million heads, when replicated. It just won the Bureau of Agricultural Research-National Research’s (BAR) first prize for the Development Agriculture category. It empowered 461 farm families or goat entrepreneurs.

“Goat raising is considered a rural growth booster. It deserves a top priority to intensify and build up farmers’ living asset,” said Jovita M. Datuin, Department of Agriculture-Regional Field Unit 1 (DA-RFU) manager.

With a new breeding scheme, the project has produced superior breeds from the crossing of Philippine Native with Anglo Nubian and Boer breeds.

RED also has the significant contribution of encouraging entrepreneurship among small goat farmers, he said.

With the support of the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry, Natural Resources Research and Development and the provincial, town, and baranggay LGUs, P11.5 million was invested for breeder stocks. Funded also was the construction of P3.5 million worth of 190 constructed goat houses and forage garden.

Goat production is economically valuable for the Philippines with value rising from P3.3 billion in 2000 to P5.113 billion in 2005. At the increased price of P4,000 per head, the 3.3 million-head inventory is now valued at P13.2 billion.

Chevon, the goat meat, is considered a specialty meat served as a delicacy in important occasions.

“There was substantial interest in the sector with new farms being set up, increased importation of stocks, and expanding organization of small ruminants (livestock feeding by grazing) nationwide,” according to the Livestock Development Council (LDC).

Goat importation rose about five times from 155 heads in 2001 to 1,330 heads in 2005. Imports come from the US, Australia, and New Zealand. 

The marketing system put in place by RED has contributed to an improved pricing for farmers. Rather than based on an indiscriminate system such as on a per piece basis, slaughter goat in the area is now based on live weight per kilo at P120 to P150.

With better goat raising practices and marketing systems, after one year of growth, goats are now sold at a much higher P2,500 to P4,000 per head or an increase of 150 to 167 percent. This was from only P1,000 to P1,500 per head.

The project also generated a total of P4.84 million just from goat manure value used as organic fertilizer. (FREEMAN)