By: Zac B. Sarian

The government is not exactly efficient in implementing cattle dispersal program. Dr. Emil Q. Javier, president of the National Academy of Science and Technology, has provided us figures that 88 percent of cattle dispersed by the government were not paid back. And that’s probably why Sen. Edgardo Angara stopped the DA’s dispersal program when he became the Secretary of Agriculture in 1999.

Private individuals are proving to be better at cattle dispersing. One fellow we met lately is Dr. Guin Gerona, a retiree from the Visayas State University, who is now doing his own brand of farming in Sogod, Southern Leyte.

While still employed, Dr. Gerona started his cattle dispersal project in the mid-1980s with five heifers. Today, he has a total of 75 head, including males. Of this number, 38 are female breeders most of which are in the care of other farmers under the so-called “paiwi” system.

The usual “paiwi” scheme is for the owner of the animal to get the first offspring if the animal is already mature when it was given to the farmer. The next offspring would be kept by the caretaker. According, to Dr. Gerona, there is a more equitable scheme of sharing the calves that are born.

 n his case, he and the owner have an equal share of every calf born. A valuation of the young animal is made. If it is sold, they divide the proceeds. If one of them opt to keep the animal, the other should be paid by the fellow who wants to keep the animal. Most of the time, though, it’s Dr. Gerona ending as the buyer.

Dr. Gerona feels his system is better. For one thing, the farmer does not have to wait a long time to have his share. For another, the caretaker might not take good care of the calf allocated to the owner of the mother cow if the usual practice is observed.

Another successful private fellow who has been successful in cattle dispersal is Mrs. Lydia Lapastora of Soliven, Isabela. In 1996, she started her project with P20,000 with which she bought six young heifers. Today, she has 15 breeders under the care of other farmers.

If private individuals doing their dispersal programs could be multiplied many times over in various parts of the country, the local cattle population will increase tremendously. What the government should do is to help the private sector to acquire improved animals and provide access to reasonable financing.