MANILA, Philippines — Do you want to start a commercial goat raising project? You say you have a lot of money so you think you can start a huge project right away. Not necessarily so, according to Ben Rara who was the main speaker at the Agri-Kapihan at the AANI at St. Vincent Seminary in Quezon City last Saturday.

Ben is a goat and sheep raiser in Pandi, Bulacan and also has a farm in Bukidnon. He is the president of the Federation of Goat and Sheep Producers Associations of the Philippines, Inc. (FGASPAPI).

After hearing about the big demand for goat meat not only in the Philippines but also abroad, one at-tendee stood up and wanted to find out if there is a complete book or technoguide that can provide every-thing as his reference in his venture. The fellow appeared to have the financial resources to launch a big goat project.

Ben cautioned the attendees that having a huge financial resource is not enough. The first requirement, Ben said, is the genuine interest of the fellow to go into goat raising. He should ask his own self if he will be able to sustain his interest in the business.

Ben also advised the attendees that before spending a big amount on the new project, one should get acquainted first with the basics of goat production. He should familiarize himself with the different breeds of goat and what each is good for. He should study different housing styles, nutrition and feeding, forage crops, breeding cycles, artificial insemination, upgrading and the like. He could acquire these information by reading, attending seminars and trade shows, trainings by private and government institutions. He could become a member of the goat association nearest to his place.

There is no complete book that will give everything that is applicable to every situation. That’s because there are a lot of differences as to the resources of each proponent. The places of production differ in many ways because of distance to the market, weather conditions, peace and order situation, availability of labor and other inputs, etc.

Of course, Ben did not mean that the investor should be an expert in everything about goats. But the fellow should keep on studying the developments in the industry.

After assuring himself of his commitment to the business and having studied the basics in goat farming, the fellow will have enough confidence and he will be able to come up the needed financing, Ben said. If he does not have his own capital, he would be confident enough to borrow from the lending agencies, including relatives and friends.

Meanwhile, Ben invited the Agri- Kapihan attendees and others interested in goats and sheep to attend the 5th National Goat and Sheep Congress which will be held on March 22-24 at Stotsenberg Hotel in Clark, Pampanga.

Aside from the seminars on timely topics, there will be a showcase of island-born goats to show to the visitors the result of the upgrading of the native stocks. The result of triple crossing could be one of those to be showcased. One study with excellent result is the mating of the native goat with a purebred Anglo Nubian. The female offspring is next mated to a Boer buck to produce goats that are heavier.

There will also be a competition for island-born goats and sheep to come up with the Best Buck in the show, Best Ram, Best Doe and Best Ewe. Body conformation will receive a heavy weight.

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