Davao Soon To Be A Goat Capital of the Philippines

Goat raisings is now become a niche for enterprising entreprenuer  who want to cash on the great demand in this once a neglected sector. And Davao City, our largest city and home to the majestic Mt. Apo, is now striving to become the goat capital of Southern Philippines and probably in the whole country. Heres’ an article culled from the writings of the Philippines beloved agriculture editor Zac B. Sarian. Enjoy your reading.

Goat Raising in the Philippines

Davao has long been famous for its exotic fruits such as durian, mangosteen, marang and of course bananas. It is also the home of the famous Walingwaling orchid and the modern hybrids that are grown in large numbers. Pretty soon it could also become the goat capital of Southern Philippines. The reason is that in the last few years, serious entrepreneurs have branched out into goat farming.

One such entrepreneur who diversified into goat raising is Charita Puentespina who first became well known as the lady who mass produced the Waling-Waling orchid as well as the modern hybrids. She started the Puentespina Orchids & Tropical Plants which continues to be a big player in the horticulture industry. However, the major management chores in the plant business have been handed down to her children and their spouses while she busies herself in her goat project.Although she started her goat project only four years ago, she has already put up a herd of 165 female breeders and a smaller number of bucks. She is not only raising goats for their meat but also for their milk. At present some 45 of the female goats are in the milkline. And Charita is making good business making and selling white cheese, chocomilk, yoghurt and fresh milk.

Another lady who is serious in goat raising is Bella Cariño, an accountant who used to be a loan officer of the Development Bank of the Philippines branch in Davao City. In 2005, she resigned from her employment to become a full-time goat farmer. She now has over a hundred upgrades and purebreds in her herd in Brgy. Los Amigos, Tugbok district, Davao City. Her farm is beside the main highway that goes to Cagayan de Oro and she has additional plans on her goat farm. She hopes to eventualy put up a restaurant that will serve goat dishes and bed-and-breakfast business.

Bella related that while she was a loan officer at DBP, she came to realize that goat raising was one of the upcoming sunrise industries. That’s why when she retired two years ago, she decided to specialize in goat farming.Before starting her project, she did her own research, observing the goat project of the Mindanao Baptist Rural Life Center in Bansalan, Davao del Sur. There, she also sourced her forage planting materials so that her animals will get their proper nutrition. Her favorite forage crop is Indigorera, a leguminous tree which produces a lot of leaves that are relished by goats.The other foage crops she grows are Setaria, Napier, Rensonii and some others. She also compounds her own goat ration consisting of copra meal, ipil-ipil leaf meal, first class rice bran and corn grits.

Goat Farming and Goat Breeds

One fellow who went into goat raising in a big way is Darwin Tinasas, a marine engineering graduate who is in his early 30s. He has trained not only in raising goats but also in breeding. He is the expert whom people consult when they have some technical problems with the breeds of goats. He is also an expert in artificial insemination. Darwin has integrated his goat project with his durian plantation. There, he raises 60 purebred Anglo Nubian and Boer goats in confinement. He has planted Setaria, a nutritious forage grass, under and betweem his durian trees. The grass is cut and brought to the animals confined in houses with elevated floors.

Before he went into goat raising, he had to spend a lot on herbicides to control the weeds between his durian trees. With Setaria, he does not spend a single centavo anymore for herbicides to keep down the weeds.

Darwin is also into goat dispersal. He has so far dispersed 187 breeders to farmers who are participating in his project. Under the scheme, the farmer participant is given a minimum of four ready-to-breed females and one buck. The farmer takes care of the animals and when they give birth, Darwin and the farmer share the kids 50-50. Before the animals are turned over the farmer, however, Darwin has to train him.Romeo P. Sajulga, Jr. is another businessman who went into goat raising a few years ago. The family has long been in the trucking business, transporting mostly bananas from the plantations to wherever the fruits are brought for export. When their garage in downtown had to be relocated, they bought a five-hectare coconut plantation in Brgy. Mahayag, Bunawan district. Since the 52 trucks could use only one hectare, Sajulga decided to engage in goat raising, using the four hectares for growing various forage crops under coconut.

Today, the AJML Goat Farm of Sajulga boasts of over 150 upgraded Anglo Nubian and Boer female breeders and a smaller number of bucks. Many of the females are in the milkline.

Sajulga follows a program of continually upgrading his stocks. His favorite is the Anglo Nubian because this breed yields milk as well as meat. The Boer, on the other hand, is primarily for meat production.Lito “Papo” Uy is another businessman who went into goat raising only recently. His main business is T-shirt manufacturing but he is also engaged in advertising and runs an orchard planted to durian, mangosteen, pummelo, cacao and coffee. He started with 48 animals which he says he is raising them for their manure, meat and milk. He wants to use the manure as fertilizer for his organically grown fruits. The milk, on the other hand, will be donated to two day care centers in two barangays near where his farm is located. There are at least 50 kids in the day care centers every day, he said.

There are many more in Davao City who are into goat raising. There are now 21 members of the Goat Industry Development Council and more farmers are expected to join soon.