The country’s biggest Sheep and Goat Genetics Nucleus Farm is now nearing completion in North Cotabato.
When fully operational this year, it will be the breeding center of two outstanding lines of Goat and Sheep whose offsprings will later be distributed to the different regions of the country.
The project is a partnership between the Department of Agriculture National Livestock Program and a local farmers cooperative, COLIPA.
Envisioned by Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, Jr. and the late Undersecretary DV Savellano, the Center will House 140 breeders of Spanish Goats and 3,500 Dorper Sheep.
All the breeding stocks will have their genetic records in microchips to be embedded in their ears or tails to ensure that outstanding Genetics are recorded.
The breeding program will start 2nd Quarter of 2025 with farmers from North Cotabato as the first beneficiaries.
Young Cotabato Vet Who Topped Hungary Masters Course Heads Biggest Small Ruminants Breeding Center!
A young veterinarian from Antipas, North Cotabato who topped the Masteral Class in Animal Husbandry Engineering in the University of Debrecen MEK in Hungary will head the biggest Small Ruminants Genetics Nucleus Farm Project now rising in North Cotabato.
Roland Yap Fajardo, DVM, a graduate of the University of Southern Mindanao College of Veterinary Medicine in 2016, will now serve as Project Manager of the breeding facility of 140 Spanish Goats and 3,500 White Dorper Sheep.
Dr. Fajardo was employed by the Bureau of Animal Industry of the Dept. of Agriculture but resigned last year to take a professorial chair in his Alma Mater, USM.
He earned a scholarship slot in the University of Debrecen three years ago where he took up Masters of Science in Animal Husbandry Engineering.
Dr. Fajardo finished his course with honors with a Perfect 5.0 GWA and the Stipendium Hungaricum Excellence Awardee 2022, University Honours Talent UD Award and the Béla Tormay Honours College Award.
As Project Manager of the Small Ruminants Center, Dr. Fajardo will lead a national digitalization program of Small Ruminants Genetics, a Project of Sec. Francisco Tiu Laurel, Jr. Of the DA in partnership with a local farmers’ cooperative, COLIPA.
All Small Ruminants produced in the Center will have genetic records which will identify outstanding lines to improve the Goat and Sheep population of the country.
