CATANDUANES, November 8, 2021 – Five (5) farmers’ associations (FA) with 98 members in Catanduanes received Php 5.7 million worth of goat production inputs from the Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) Program, anticipating live weight and chevon as enterprise opportunity.
Livestock Production Project inputs funded in FY 2021 were distributed to Paniquihan Goat Farmers Association, San Miguel Goat Farmers Association, Biong Goat Association, San Pedro Goat Raisers Association, and Sioron Canlobe Goat Association.
Each group received 20 bucks and 80 native does, which were all distributed on September 27. The farmers will raise the livestock in communal settings with a combined area of 5.64 hectares (ha).
Table 1. SAAD Beneficiaries’ Goat Production AreaNilo Tresvalles from San Pedro, Gigmoto was a goat production beneficiary in 2018. Back then, the SAAD Program provided him a buck and four native does which produced five offspring. Due to health conditions, Nilo’s wife, Mercedes, joined the San Pedro Goat Raisers Association to continue their livelihood.
“Naugma ako kang nataw-an kami ning kanding kaitong 2018 ta dai man kami ning kukuahan. Nag-ugbon na itong mga kanding, pwede ko na man maipabakal. Ngunyan, igwa na kami ning asosasyon, nataw-an man kami ning 100 na kanding na samuyang papadakulon. Dakulang tabang ini samuya ta dai mi ini makukua ning libre maski sain. Kaya gapamabalos kami sa DA SAAD ta dakul na benepisyo ang nakukua mi,” shared Nilo.
(I was happy when I received the goats in 2018 because I do not have any means to acquire even one. Some of them already produced offspring which I can sell. Right now, we established an association and we were provided with 100 heads of goats which we intend to raise and increase. This is a great help to us because we cannot find any program that will give the same provisions to us for free. We are very grateful to the DA-SAAD because we are reaping so many benefits.)
Collective strategy in project management
The minimum pasture area required for 100 goats is 400-500 square meters (sqm) or 0.04-0.05ha.
Each group cleared out a parcel of land to shepherd the goats for production and put up a temporary house measuring 50-150sqm.
Dyrah Kate M. Tolledo, member of San Pedro Goat Raisers Association in Gigmoto, shared that they set a schedule and designate daily activities such as cleaning the grazing area to maintain a good environment for the animals, regular feeding for good proliferation, and monitoring to prevent sickness and mortalities.
To ensure that the goats stay in tip-top condition, the assigned area coordinators commit to regularly monitor the project with the assistance of designated livestock technicians from the respective local government units (LGUs).
Baras Municipal Agriculturist Noel O. Odoňo said the office will visit the newly distributed goats for assessment and monitoring. He also assured the beneficiaries that the Baras LGU will provide technical assistance in raising the said livestock, especially in administering animal drugs.
The concerted effort in ensuring the success of the project from the beneficiaries to the provincial arms of the DA is a response to the intensified campaign for the OneDA reform agenda. Localized mobilization of agricultural actors is part of the consolidation strategy.
Plans
The association is looking into the possibility of selling chevon (goat meat) as an enterprise.
On top of the provision of livestock, the farmers’ associations are set to receive a forage chopper, 40 laminated sacks, various forage crop seeds for small ruminants such as geukdong (maramais or pseudo corn), indigofera (Indigofera tinctoria commonly known as true indigo), forage tree or shrub with many shoots bearing pinnate bright green leaves, napier seeds, and animal biologics.
The provision of goats and other inputs are part of the Php 7.1 million budget allocation of the SAAD Program for goat dispersal and related inputs in Catanduanes. ###
Writer:
Sarah Jane C. Taway, SAAD Catanduanes Information Officer
Angelica A. Blanco, RPMSO Information Officer
Sources: Gail Antioquia, PPMO Catanduanes
Photo Sources: Melrose Buetre, Efren Z. Tablizo, Jr.
