Poor mans cow no more goats for profit

GOOD Morning, What another beautiful day in Gods creation. We are truly blessed to experience it. What you do with the bible, depends on what you do with the first sentence of Genesis, the bible opens with a simple statement” in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth”. If you believe that, you will believe everything else that follows. If you reject that statement you will also deny every other cardinal truth in the scriptures. Two friends were arguing about Genesis, Joe said he believed in the record of creation, Charlie was an unbeliever and went to great lengths in giving his own theory of how the world began and how life developed from a primordial cell through reptiles, monkeys, and up to man. When he was finished, Joe asked him,” were you there”. Good question! Of course I wasn't there Charlie replied, then Joe said, well God was ,”He was the only one there and I'll take the word of the eyewitness above all those who rely on their own imagination”, let's pause for a moment: I'm trust my all to God alone whose word is truth and light, I'd rather walk by faith with him, the go alone by sight. You will be able to trust the bible when you have come to trust it's author.

Our topic: The livestock industry contributes around 32 percent of the Philippine Agriculture. Among the prominent species, the goat industry for the last five consistently posted positive growth in terms of increase in population inventory and meat production. In 2005, the increase in growth of the industry was five to six percent. However, the increasing goat inventory is seemingly not coping up with the extraction rate. In fact, the number of goat slaughtered is not well captured in the statistics considering that most animals are slaughtered on the farms, along the roads where the animals are sold or at home, very few goats are slaughtered in abattoirs and therefore statistics on rate of slaughter and consumption remains undocumented. Goats, which are traditionally raised by smallhold farm families or farmers with limited assets, are known as “poor mans cow”. This use to be the case, but not anymore. Believe me, there is good money to be made in goat farming through the years information and technologies have been generated by research, paving the way for improved production systems for more innovative and progressive farmers. This has caused a better survival and improved production performance of the animals.

Through intensified promotion and advocacy, the production system has included the use of improved breeds and high-quality genetics. In view of this, goat as an economic enterprise has evolved, creating a hype for both smallholds and commercial raisers. The hype about goat raising has prompted more entrepreneurs to bring in sizable number of high-quality genetics and different breeds of goat into the country, mostly, from Australia . So, as you can see, from a predominantly backyard status, the current situation is that it has brought goat production into a level where affluent raisers investment has become unrealistically high. Thus, the goats reputation of being the poor mans cow, has now become history. To any development settings, acceptance and adoption of an innovation are hastened if there are people who can attest to its effectiveness and personally push it forward. They then serve as drivers and champions who advance the cause of such development.

The current viberance of the goat industry can be attributed not only to the government through its poverty alleviation and job creation programs, but more because of the patronage and belief of the private sector who are considered active players in the industry. A mix of personalities and institutions coming from various sectors involved in different undertakings can be identified as champions in advancing the cause of the goat industry. The people involved in the goat industry are gracious officers of the federation of goat and sheep producers association of the Philippines, Inc. They are responsible for mouthing the sentiments and initiatives of the private sector and making representations in government in support of the goat industry. I have written many times on the advantages of goat farming. Go to the local hospitals, and see the suffering infants, goats milk could solve many of their ailments. I would like to see a large milk producing goat farm here in Tagbilaran. I would be willing to share my knowledge and expertise to such a project.

Maybe the schools and colleagues could set-up small projects, it would give students an incentive to their studies. The way things are going something like is need to attract their attention away from the vices that surrounds our young people. The goat industry as an infant or emerging industry can flourish to be a competitively mature if everybody can be counted to work towards an economically sustainable industry. For my research this week, I would like to thank Edwin Villar, Ph.D. Director LRD-PCARRD For his help. Thank you sir. Take Care, See you next week.