IST ILOCOS REGION GOAT EXPOSITION

STA. BARBARA-The future appears bright for the goat growers.

Demand for goat meat and milk has been on the rise and Pangasinan is well positioned to be the goat producing capital of the country, according to the Federation of Goat and Sheep Producers and Associations of the Philippines, Inc. (FGASPAPI)

“Ang lakas ng demand,” Neo Abalos, secretary-treasurer of FGASPAPI, said in an interview with local newsmen during the 1st Ilocos Region Goat Exposition held here last week.

Abalos also said the current supply is not enough to meet the demand and so there is a lot of roomfor more players in the industry.

Even the sale of breeders is so brisk that they are running out of supply, he added.  

Luzon has the biggest demand for goat meat, also known as chevon, due to the popularity of local dishes such as kinigtot, caldereta, pinapaitan, sinampalokan, ginising, and kappokan.

 Abalos also said goat products command prices higher than other farm and poultry meat.

Chevon, sold at P240 per kilo compared with P120-140 for chicken and P180 for pork, is considered the healthiest red meat with its high protein and iron content and low saturated fat.

Goat milk, on the other hand, sells at P100 per liter, which is also more expensive than cow’s milk.

Bicuvido Rara, FGASPAPI president, said there is also a big potential in the international market.

“We need to supply our domestic requirement and also prepare to supply the world market, particularly, in the Middle East,” Rara said.

Saudi Arabia reportedly needed six million goats to feed pilgrims last December.

The federation intends to expand its market by making chevon available in supermarkets.

Starting a goat business is initially costly, saidAbalos, as one breeder amounts costs P6,000, but in the long term, labor is the only major component.

Goats feed on grasses and legumes like ramie, cacao, ipil ipil, madre de cacao, rensani, trichnatera, and stylo, among others, which are easy to propagate.

The FGASPAPI members conducts trainings and seminars on goat raising, including the propagation methods for these plants.

Meanwhile, Mayor Reynaldo Velasco of Sta. Barbara said he is glad to host the event in his town and vowed to encourage his constituents to pursue the goat business and seek support from the Department of Agriculture.#

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