Department of Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. has ordered a comprehensive review of a goat breeding program launched during the Duterte administration after state auditors reported high mortality rates among the animals due to neglect and underfunding.
The assessment will determine the future of the project at the Pangasinan Research and Experiment Center in Sual, Pangasinan.
Tiu Laurel said the review would examine the technical viability and resources required to sustain the initiative, which was intended to upgrade small ruminant stocks in the country.
The Commission on Audit noted in its 2024 annual report that 52 of the 101 Anglo Nubian and Saanen goats purchased for the project died.
Auditors attributed the deaths primarily to inadequate feeding and nutrition. While the Department of Agriculture is addressing current gaps with feed provided in the 2025 National Livestock Program budget and 2026 proposals, records show the program lacked long-term support under former Department of Agriculture Secretary William Dar.
Tiu Laurel said the review would guide whether the agency revives, scales down or ends the program. In the interim, the remaining goats will be distributed to farmers in Catanduanes to help recover livestock losses caused by recent typhoons.
The agency plans to temporarily repurpose the 140-hectare Pangasinan facility into an innovation hub for high-value crop production while final decisions are made.
The transition involves a public-private-community engagement model aimed at increasing local food production and boosting rural agro-industrial growth.
The failure of the breeding project highlights a recurring challenge for the department regarding inherited programs that set ambitious goals without secured funding.
