Baler, Aurora—Goat farmers from this province and nearby areas are benefiting from the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development-developed technologies.
“My goat production improved by adopting scientific-based technologies from PCAARRD through Farmer Livestock School on Goat Enterprise Management [FLS GEM] trainings,” Nueno Villanueva told other goat farmers in sharing his success story during the second day of the FIESTA [Farms and Industry Encounters through the Science Technology Agenda] event featuring goat and meat products held at the capitol grounds on Friday.
Technologies such as artificial insemination, delivery protocol, different feeding schemes, supplements for the various physiological stages of goat, farm machineries and implements, mastitis kit, test interval, and method for data milk collection, among others are being taught to farmers through FLS GEM.
“I have been into goat farming since 1970 but only in the late 2000 has my production started improving after adopting science-based technologies, which means better income for me,” Villanueva said.
Goat raiser Samuel Sardenia also shared: “I was able to send my children to school, built a house, and even bought a car. Technologies tremendously improved my goat production.”
About 300 goat farmers from the Aurora towns of Dingalan, Maria Aurora, Dipaculao, Casiguran, Dilasag, San Luis, and Baler heard the success stories.
PCAARRD Deputy Executive Director for Research and Development Dr. Edwin Villar, who delivered the keynote address of the event, said that since 2006, P150 million to P200 million was used on goat research projects.
Science officials said goat production is a sunrise industry in Central Luzon, and local goat farmers must learn competitive and sustainable goat production.
Aside from sharing of goat success stories, the two-day event included technology pitching, local products exhibit, goat show, meat processing contest, goat meat culinary contest, and poster-making.
PCAARRD Applied Communication Division Director Marita Carlos and other officers of the council also attended the event.
FIESTA aims to showcase research and technologies developed by PCAARRD consortium members in the fields of agriculture, aquatic, and natural resources.
Central Luzon Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development Consortium is the consortium partner of PCAARRD in Region 3.
