DA Isabela to boost sheep production

Through its Isabela Experiment Station (IES), the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office 2 (DA-RFO2) is bent on upscaling sheep production and related investment opportunities in the region.

Rose Mary Aquino, DA-RFO2 officer in charge regional executive officer, said this is a small ruminant program that includes community sheep production, business ventures in cuisine and culinary, and canned meat enterprises.

Following the directive of Aquino, efforts were pooled together on Tuesday by the DA-RFO2 Regional Agriculture and Fisheries Information Section (Rafis) headed by Hector Tabbun, Research for Development represented by Wesley Espiritu and the IES Contingent headed by Acqueline Gumiran here.

“We have the nucleus farm that has breeder and fattened flocks so all we have to do is make timelines and unleash the opportunity that we have,” she said.

According to Ferdinand Cortez of Rafis, the group outlined a multiyear plan starting with small ruminants mapping in Region 2 (Cagayan Valley), updating the sheep road map and upscaling profiles of the farmers cooperatives and associations.

During the meeting, Gumiran noted that “there are many activities lined up here so we can have a year-on-year milestone as we sail along.”

Activities identified during the meeting were showcasing the Gamu Sheep Festival, Sheep Summit, Investment Forum, Town Hall Meetings and market matching.

“The most important product we get from sheep is meat. Meat is an important component of our diets, and lamb and mutton supply us with many of the vital vitamins and proteins we need for healthy living,” Gumiran said.

She explained that lamb is the meat (flesh) from a sheep that is less than one year old while mutton is the meat from a sheep that is over one year of age.

“The terms yearling mutton are applied to the meat from a sheep that is between one and two years of age,” Gumiran added.

“And for culinary and cuisine, we have identified Mutton Biryani, braised lamb, lamb curry, roasts, lamb chops, grilled and rack of lamb as several recipes to be showcased,” she said.

Gumiran also emphasized that mutton meat is a nutritious gold mine, including zinc for a robust immune system, the B12 vitamin for nerve function and iron for healthy blood.

“It is especially abundant in iron, which is essential for preserving normal blood hemoglobin levels,” she added.

Cortez said the IES which is located at Barangay Upi in this town was “recognized as the nucleus farm for sheep in the region with its purpose of producing and maintaining quality breeder sheep for distribution to qualified applicants.”