Gov’t intensifies support to promote native animals

The Bureau of Agricultural Research wants to develop new technologies that will address conservation and commercialization of potential strains of native animals.

This will be done in partnership with the Bureau of Animal Industry National Swine and Poultry Research and Development Center.

BAR has been supporting the development of production and management technologies for native animals including pig, chicken and cattle.

The technologies generated specifically covers production and management (includes housing and feeding management); breed conservation and utilization; processing into different food products, value chain analysis and information system.

To intensify policies and initiatives for sustainable conservation, production, and marketing of native animals, the Department of Agriculture institutionalized the Philippine Native Animal Development (PNAD) program in 2010.

One successful BAR-funded project under this program is the “Agricultural Systems Approach to Commercialization of Native Swine in Quezon” which was implemented by the University of the Philippines Los Baños Foundation.

The project promotes the use of Gabing San Fernando, trichanthera, and common herbal plants, including kangkong, kamote as feed for native pigs.

Through the “Dos Por Cinco,” a native swine module, a farmer can generate an additional P33,500 in income in two years from selling piglets.

Farmers found the project very helpful and relevant to their existing farming system. They are planting herbs (use for treating common swine diseases) and forages in their coconut plantations.

Aside from increasing their income and improving their lives, the project convinced other farmers in the area to be part of the project.

In fact, the number of farmer partners grew more than threefold to 44 in just two years.

Another project under this program is the commercialization of Bohol native chicken production in the community level and re-educating primary students and parents in the patrimonial and economic value of science-based native chicken production.

Another project is the commercialization of Philippine native cattle for optimum production of Siquijor beef. It aims to quantitatively describe the socio-demographic profile of native cattle raisers, develop native beef grading standard, and develop native beef cuts and products.

The Provincial Veterinary Office of Siquijor has conducted a partial survey on the supply and demand of beef in the province.

Based on the findings, the province needs 567 kilograms of beef on a weekly basis.