A TWO-DAY event highlighted the technologies on improving the country’s bamboo and goat production sectors, where the tagline Kawayan ug Kanding (Bamboo and Goat) FIESTA was used for the activity.
This came after the first-ever “Kawayan ug Kanding FIESTA” was recently hosted by the Northern Mindanao Consortium for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (NOMCAARRD) at the Central Mindanao University (CMU) in Musuan, Maramag, Bukidnon.
The Farm-Industry Encounters through the Science and Technology Agenda (FIESTA), which is initiated and funded by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD), is a technology diffusion platform.
FIESTA is PCAARRD’s event-based technology transfer modality which aims to promote science and technology (S&T) and its products towards providing competitive and profitable business ventures for the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the agriculture, aquatic, and natural resources sectors of the country.
The results of R&D initiatives showcased in the event are within the areas of agriculture, aquatic, and natural resources (AANR), especially those that are funded by the DOST-PCAARRD.
Among the topics that were tackled included village-level establishment of bamboo nursery, prospects of engineered bamboo, mitigating soil erosion through bamboo plantation, and organic farming.
But one of the most interesting topics that were tackled during the event was about the prospects of the country’s goat industry, which is considered as a “Sunrise Industry” in the country that is slowly but steadily gaining the favor of the investors.
Even the DOST-PCAARRD underscored the importance of goat production, echoing the statement of stakeholders.
PCAARRD says that while majority of supply, which stands at 99 percent, is sourced from backyard raisers, the number of commercial investors has been noted to be increasing since the turn of the millennium.
Based on available data, production now stands at 3.71 million heads as of January 2017, where 98.62 percent or 3.88 million are from the backyard raisers, and 1.38 percent or 0.05 million are from commercial raisers.
This relatively small population base can be traced to two basic factors – high slaughter rate and low productivity.
But despite the low production level, demand for goat meat and goat’s milk remains robust, as the number of goats slaughtered has always been higher than kids born alive.
At present, farmgate and carcass prices of goat are high, even higher than the price of beef.
However, the demand cannot be met, as this would mean slaughtering an average of 1,355 25-kg of goats per month or 16,262 heads per year.
This means that currently, there is much potential in goat production as supply cannot yet meet the demand.
To address these gaps, national goat science and technology (S&T) initiatives were laid down in a holistic way.
In general, the event emphasized the importance of applying available technologies which can boost the two featured products – bamboo and goat, and their relevance in helping to improve the lives of the farmers in the countryside, and the rural economy as a whole. (jaypeeyap@ymail.com/PN)
