The first Spanish Goat kid in the Mindanao Small Ruminants Nucleus Farm (MSRNF) in Makilala, North Cotabato which weighed 3.15 kilos at birth has gained 300 grams after just two days.
The big brown buck kid, the first of three kids of the Pure Spanish Goats, named “Big Boy,” has become a symbol of the big hope for the success of the program aimed at upgrading the local goats in the country.
The Spanish Goats which were imported from the U.S. originally came from Spain via Mexico during the days of the Conquistadores.
Hardy and resilient, the breed thrived in Texas as feral goats but were later domesticated because of their outstanding meat.
Today, American Spanish Goat farmers have formed an association which has established genetic records of the breed.
When Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. asked me to design a Goat and Sheep Upgrading Program, I recommended the Spanish Goats due to their ability to survive in the most challenging conditions.
In fact, in the US, herds of Spanish Goats are deployed to clear bushes, eating even dried leaves, to prevent forest fire.
The project was awarded to a local cooperative, COLIPAA, which now operates the MSRNF under the supervision of a young veterinarian, Dr. Roland Fajardo, assisted by a Veterinary Techician.
Dr. Fajardo, from Antipas town, holds a Master’s Degree in Advanced Animal Genetics from a University in Hungary where he graduated Magna Cum Laude.
I have assumed the role of Adviser to the program.
The MSRNF will produce Spanish Goat breeders which the DA will Buy-Back to be shared with farmers all over the country.
