Goat & sheep Farming 101 at Ragsak Farm

Alot of people are really interested in raising goats and sheep. Which is good because the supply of these small ruminants cannot meet the big demand.

When we posted in our blog (zacsarian.com) that Ragsak Farm in Tarlac will be conducting a training on goat and sheep production, a lot of people read the item and wanted to know if they can join the training. Well, those interested will have to wait, but they can make their reservations now.

Goat & Sheep Farming 101 is a baby of Dr. Ronaldo Sumaoang of the Novatech Group. He is a microbiologist and is an expert in organic fertilizer manufacture, probiotics and lately he is specializing in quality silage production for feeding goats, sheep and Large Black Pig.

Ragsak Farm was recently accredited by the Agricultural Training Institute as a Learning Site. As such, the tuition of the trainees in the Goat & Sheep Farming 101 will be shouldered by ATI. The first session with 35 participants will be held on October 24-26, 2018.

Aside from teaching the basic aspects of goat and sheep production, Dr. Sumaoang will give special emphasis on the production of quality silage for feeding the animals. This is very important because the availability of affordable, quality feeds throughout the year is the key to make more farmers go into livestock raising. Many farmers, for instance, only take care of one or two head of cows in their backyard because they don’t have available feed during the summer months when grasses dry up. With the availability of silage year round, the farmers could take care of five or more head of livestock.

Two sessions are also scheduled to be held this November. But the slots have already been filled up. The truth is, according to Dr. Sumaoang, some 200 people have already made their reservations. The ATI, on the other hand, will only resume the sponsoring of the trainings come February next year when the new budget will be available.

ORGANIC PRODUCTS FROM CHEMREZ – Interesting two new products used in farming are now in the market, thanks to Chemrez Technologies. These are considered organic inputs that are derived mainly from coconut oil.

One is the Crop Guard which can be applied as an insecticidal oil that will control aphids, mealy bugs, scale insects, leafhoppers, mites, thrips, leaf miners and whiteflies. The product dissolves the waxy covering of soft-bodied insects rendering them to succumb to dehydration and also become vulnerable to forces of nature. It also kills destructive pests by asphyxation.

According to Aldrin Magpantay, product manager, Crop Guard is a new generation organic spray oil that combines excellent wetting and spreading characteristics. When used in combination with pesticides, it will accelerate and boost the performance of the pesticide. The spray droplets deposited in the treated leaf surfaces ensures even and thorough coverage of the target area, thereby enhancing the penetration, absorption and translocation of the pesticide used.

The second product is Biomate Forte Foliar Fertilizer, a new generation of biofertilizer. It is an emulsified concentrate that contains both the primary nutrients – nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK) and micronutrients that include calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, zinc, boron, molybdenum and manganese. The micronutrients, although in very small amounts, are vital for optimum plant growth and development that will result in higher yields.

ZINC IMPROVES RICE YIELD – A two-year experiment at the Central Luzon State University proves that micronutrients really work wonders. In the experiment, they compared the performance of ordinary urea and Yara Viking Ship Urea with zinc (0.02%) on rice. The result was a 22 percent increase in yield.

The nitrogen in the ordinary urea is in the form of ammnium. To be absorbed by the plants, it has to be converted into nirate form. In the process of transformation, as much as 50 percent of the nutrient could be lost. In the case of the Yara urea with zinc, the nitrogen is in the form of nitrate which is readily absorbed by the plants.

ABRA FARMERS TOUR JAPANESE FARMS – Eight members of the Abra Diocese Teachers and Employees Multi-Purpose Cooperative headed by Irene Bringas recently toured different organic as well as conventional farms in Japan for 10 days. Upon their return, they proceeded to the Sarian Farm in Teresa, Rizal to get some ideas on the propagation and cultivation of exotic fruit trees. They are shown at the Sarian Farm, from left: Arnel Molina, Luisito Dion, Conrado Sevilleja, Irene Bringas (co-op CEO), Luisa Bernardez, Carla Astudillo, Jose Sta. Maria and Daniel Pog-ok. They were able to taste the sweet fruits of Longkong lanzones, Vietnam pomelo and rambutan in Teresa.

INSECTICIDAL OIL AND PESTICIDE ENHANCER – Photo shows a bottle of Crop Guard, a product of Chemrez Technologies, which is an insecticidal oil and pesticide enhancer. It also serves as a sticker. Crop Guard dissolves the waxy covering of soft bodied insects rendering them to succumb to dehydration and also become vulnerable to forces of nature. It also kills the insects by asphyxiation. It is an organic product.

GOOSE LIVER FOR PATE – Joel Lim Alcasid shows his favorite Toulouse goose which he displayed at the recent Agrilink trade show at the World Trade Center in Pasay City. The Toulouse goose is well known for its big liver which is used in making liver pate. Alcasid also displayed several other fancy fowls at the trade show.