CLOTHED in home-made but stylish and colourful outfits, at least 20 selected goats, representing the different municipalities and agencies in Aurora province, ramped before the judges, hundreds of goat farmers and local residents during the “Goat Show” which was held at in the municipality of Baler in Aurora province.
This time, the goat owners showed off their goats in a display of grace, size, and stature to promote technologies in goat production and management.
The goats were judged based on their costume, breed conformity, size and stature, and audience impact.
The Goat Show was inspired by the common goal among Aurora’s goat farmers to improve goat-raising in the area.
The competition was among the pocket events in connection with holding of the 2nd Goat Farms and Industry Encounters through the Science and Technology Agenda or FIESTA organized by the Central Luzon Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development Consortium (CLAARRDEC).
FIESTA is an event-based technology promotion and transfer protocol initiated by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD) to enhance the transfer of technology from the laboratory to their intended beneficiaries.
The event gathered goat raisers and meat processors in a bid to achieve a more productive, competitive, and sustainable goat production system in the province of Aurora and Central Luzon.
With the theme “Paglinang sa kakayahan at kaalaman daan tungo sa maunlad na kabuhayan,” the two-day Goat FIESTA was held at the Provincial Capitol Grounds in time with the 2nd Meat Festival.
Together with the Provincial Government of Aurora, CLAARRDEC spearheaded the event.
At least 300 goat farmers from the municipalities of Dingalan, Maria Aurora, Dipaculao, Casiguran, Dilasag, San Luis, and Baler attended the event.
Considered as a sunrise industry in the province of Aurora, the Small Ruminants Center and the Office of the Provincial Veterinarian have intensified their partnership to improve goat production through the conduct of a series of training on Farmer Livestock School on Goat Enterprise Management (FLS-GEM).
Goat FIESTA 2019 showcased different technologies such as artificial insemination, delivery protocol, different feeding schemes, and supplements for the various physiological stages of goat, farm machineries and implements, mastitis kit, test interval method for data milk collection, and FLS-GEM.
With FIESTA giving more emphasis on technology transfer, the event included technology pitching on topics such as Meat Processing as a Business, Goat as a Sunrise Industry, Forage-based Pellet Feeds, and Mastitis Kit.
The activity was popularized with the tagline Usapang Kambingan.
The event also featured the success stories of at least three goat raisers who shared their knowledge and experiences about the rise of goat business through goat upgrading; goat “paiwi” in the villages; and grazing meat goats for slaughter.
The event also assembled gourmets as it conducted the AgriSarap: A chevon-based culinary arts festival.
Other pocket activities such as the Goat Show, On-the-Spot Poster-Making Contest, and the Palarong Kambing also added color and merriment during the event, which mirror a true FIESTA celebration. (jaypeeyap@ymail.com/PN)
