We just visited the Small Ruminants Center (SRC) at the Central Luzon State University and one of the interesting items we saw is the portable pelletizing machine developed by the center as part of an ongoing research project funded by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD).

Dr. Edgar Orden, deputy director of the SRC, said they fabricated the pelletizing machine with the use of second hand materials so that it is not very expensive. Without the motor, it costs just about P20,000.

What is important is that it works. Pelletizing makes it possible to incorporate in one small amount the balanced nutrients needed by the animals. The pellets that they are producing at present consist of shredded napier, ipil-ipil leaf meal, rice bran, copra meal, molasses, dicalcium phosphate and a small amount of salt. A shredding machine that breaks the napier grass into fine particles is also being used by Dr. Orden. It can shred other materials, too.

Meanwhile, Dr. Rene Sumaoang of Novatech has recommended the addition of a rumen enzyme, Rumizyme, that he has cultured. He said that Rumizyme could enhance further digestibility of the nutrients in the pelletized feed.

Dr. Orden also enlightened us about the results of their study on three-way-cross goats. He said that the three-way cross of native goats, Anglo Nubian and Boer results in more than 15% increase in dressing percentage. The dressing percentage is close to 50 percent, which means that the meat obtained from one animal when slaughtered is about 50 percent of the liveweight.. Ordinarily, he said, the dressing percentage of the native goat is just over 30 percent.

Dr. Orden also briefed us on an ongoing project that is part of the RED or Rural Enterprise Development project of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). The results are very encouraging but that is another story that we will write about next time.