ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY, June 2, 2023 – The Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) Program Phase 2 in Region 9 delivered 75 stocks of upgraded goats worth Php 1,030,125 to Israel Farmers Association (IFA) in Imelda, Zamboanga Sibugay to support local raisers in their backyard goat raising.

The IFA is a group of farmers and residents of the municipality of Imelda, Zamboanga Sibugay, that recorded 29.3% poverty incidence and ranks 361st in the list of top third poorest areas according to Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) 2018 data.

The goats (doe) will be granted to the 25 first-in-line members of the FA and it was agreed to adopt the roll-over scheme so the rest of the members can own stocks from the original grant. Established in 2015, the group has 40 members whose primary income is from livestock farming (goat and cattle), poultry raising, backyard gardening, and corn production.

Each of the 25 beneficiaries received three (3) head of goat, which were all distributed on May 9, 2023.  The Anglo-Nubian crossbreed goats are 8 to 10 months old, and weigh at least 16-18 kilos. The animals were dewormed and inspected by the DA livestock inspector to ensure that the goats are free from Brucella and Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis (CAE).

The beneficiaries have identified goat-raising as a profitable venture since it is one of the meat-producing animals in their barangay and can easily be sold as meat cuts in the market aside from swine (pork meat) and cattle (beef). Grazing areas are also abundant in Barangay Israel which are suitable for goat and cattle raising.

The first-in-line recipients will raise the livestock in their individual backyards with goat sheds. As the project progresses, two (2) head of offspring will be handed over to the next grantees until all the FA members can own a goat and operate their own goat raising project.

The distribution of small ruminants intends to help farmers gain additional household income through goat raising for meat and milk production. In the municipality of Imelda, Zamboanga Sibugay, 1 kilogram (kg) of goat meat is sold at Php 200 to Php 250. Usually, the farmers sell live-weight goats in their locality – a 15kg doe price starts at Php 2,500 to Php 3,000.

Apart from the animal stocks distributed by the program, technical training on goat production management was also conducted by SAAD in Zamboanga Sibugay for the IFA goat production recipients to prepare them to manage, sustain, and develop the project into a profitable business.

Mr. Rex Caballero, President of IFA committed in developing the project into a sustainable livelihood. “Amo gyud ning paningkamoton nga mapalambo ug masustenar namo kining proyekto na gihatag sa amua sa SAAD Program. Amo gyud ning ampingan. Nagpasalamat gyud mi ug dako.”

(We will try our best to develop and sustain this project that the SAAD Program gave us. We are so grateful.)

On top of the provision of animals, the Israel FA is also set to receive 120 sacks of feed supplement good for two months’ supply and 120 pieces of mineral blocks to prevent mineral and salt deficiency in goats, which are slated to be delivered this June 2023. ###

Writer: Ellaine L. Quiamco, DA-SAAD Region 9 Information Officer