Jagna son talks about goat raising prospects

JAGNA – CONSIDERING its terrain and its most urgent need to wrestle poverty by the horn, the prospect of raising small ruminants appear to be a not a well trodden path for this place. And to goad people to look at this possibility, a respected son of Jagna, now Dr. Jonathan Niño Nayga gave a lecture on the prospects of animal husbandry as a tool in poverty alleviation for its residents. Nayga, son of Sangguniang Bayan (SB) member Victoriano Nayga Sr. is now a youthful Isabela State University professor. Aside from working as a professor in a prestigious school in Cagayan Valley , he also sits as acting director of the Cagayan Valley Small Ruminants Center.

He also concurrently works as a consultant for the Japan International cooperation Agency livelihood programs. Pressing for a reliable animal husbandry here knowing the climate and the terrain, the young Nayga called the people to consider goat raising, while talking in one of the forums during the Jagna Agri, Food and Crafts Fair last week. “Raising small ruminants promise a good economic return especially in a suitable terrain like most of Bohol 's towns,” the agri-expert bare. During the forum held at the Capt. Goyo Casenas SB, Nayga met Jagna barangay captains and officials, representatives of the different non-government organizations (NGO), and the Barangay Livestock Aides.

The university professor cited the wide area of slopes and rolling lands of the town as potential grazing areas for goat raising. He further said that the contour of the land for goat raising should be where water doesn't stay long, this way, less parasites thrive. According to statistics, the most that causes goat mortality at 92 to 100% is parasitic organism infliction. Furthermore, he pointed Bohol 's advantages in this agri-business noticing that stargrass, paragrass and cetrosema could well thrive here. These forage grasses are recommended natural feed for small even-toed and hoofed animals. “Good feeding supplement like ipil-ipil, acacia and banaba leaves are abundant,” he added. For interested people who need starting capital, Dr. Nayga offered the Department of Agriculture (DA) which has funds available for multiplier and dispersal farms, funds that could be had through contracting a loan. While expressing willingness to help, Dr. Nayga said he is also for Jagna's agriculture and agri-business development since it spells the springboard in agri-industrialization.

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