Livestock production decrease in Cordillera

LIVESTOCK production in the Cordillera region continuous to decline from 37,420 metric tons in 2014 to 34, 645 metric tons in 2016.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, agriculture, hunting, forestry and fishing (AHFF) industry contributed 8.8 percent of the total regional economy of the Cordillera which recorded a decrease in the 2016 Gross Regional Domestic Product.

Of the total AHFF, the crops sub-sector contributed the biggest share at 77.9 percent followed by livestock and poultry with 14.8 and 5.6 percent while fishery sub-sector had the least share of 1.7 percent.

Aldrin Federico Bahit Jr. of the PSA-Cordillera said the decline for the livestock and poultry remain with an erratic growth depending on the weather and high cost of production.

"The government should oversee how to help the upland livestock to lower the cost of production," said Bahit. "Livestock producers have a hard time that they venture to other livelihood with that of in the piggery. However they are more into the backyard production which is suffice for rthe egion's festivals and gatherings."

Among the four animal types under the livestock sub-sector as of 2017, the livestock inventory in the region for carabao is at 86,509; 59,213 for cattle; 188,937 for hog; and 63,035 for goat.

Inventory of carabao by farm type in the region has reached 85,562 for backyard production and 947 for commercial use.

For cattle, about 87.3 percent or 51,717 heads were raised in backyard farms while the remaining 12.7 percent or 7,496 heads were found in commercial farms.

The total swine population stood at 188,937 heads with 4.8 percent lower compared to last year's inventory of 198,375 heads.

Goat raising has reached 63,035 heads which went down by 7.7 percent from the previous year's inventory of 68,287 heads. Almost 99.9 percent of the total goat population were raised in backyard farms while only 0.01 percent were raised in commercial farms.