Goat raising is fast becoming an important component of the agricultural system in the Ilocos region as more small farmers in the rainfed and upland areas in Pangasinan, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte are now going into it.

Of the estimated 3,357,024 heads of goats in the country, 464,892 or 13.8 percent are now found in the Ilocos Region.

Even as the goat population in the Ilocos has increased by 10.5 percent in a five-year period from 2000 to 2004, the Department of Agriculture led by Regional Director Nestor D. Domenden is pushing harder for the promotion of goat raising.

For one thing, goats thrive in the harsh environments of the region and could be easily integrated with existing crop-based farming systems. In addition, goat production also entails low initial investment cost and small risks.

Moreover, goats serve as security assets, providing emergency cash in times of need for household essentials, children's education, and farm expenses, said Dr. Jovita M. Datuin, DA in the Ilocos livestock production expert. Likewise, goats are a good source of animal protein during special occasions.

In the past, backyard goat production had been hampered by the prevalence of diseases, low productivity, limited genetics, lack of technical knowledge among farmers and agricultural technicians, high cost of biologics, and lack of cooperation among farmers. One reason for this was the low priority given by the government on goat production.

Earlier, it was shown in Balungao and Umingan, Pangasinan that improved goat production technology results in better growth of the animals. Upgrading technology plus proper feeding practices and sustainable parasite control proved beneficial in increasing weight gain among stall-fed kids, which attained marketable weight in a shorter period.

Thus, the DA's Ilocos Integrated Agricultural Research Center (ILIARC) headed by Edmund Quinit is now conducting goat technology demonstration projects to address the need for improved goat productivity in selected areas so as to ensure sustainable and profitable livestock production.

Local government units are now also pushing goat production among their farmers and amazingly, more and more farmers have responded positively. For instance, Alaminos City LGU led by Mayor Hernani Braganza has earmarked P5 million for a city-wide goat commercialization project.

All in all, the provincial and municipal/city government units have allocated P2.848 million as their counterparts for the techno-demo project.

Domenden hopes that the technology backlog could be minimized through strengthened efforts of local government units (LGUs) and the active participation of small farmers. Improving the production system and creating awareness on the advantages of the new goat raising technology would pave the way towards a more vibrant goat industry.

Six technology demonstration sites - Bani, Bugallon, Mangatarem and Alaminos City in Pangasinan; Galimuyod and Vigan City in Ilocos Sur - have been established thus far.

Farmers' capability is being built up through a farmers' livestock school on integrated goat management and field trips. Exactly 13 technologies have been introduced and now followed by the farmers: housing, deworming, upgrading, stall feeding, improved forage, salt lick, use of leguminous shrubs and trees, late grazing, UMMB, manure as fertilizer, composting, dual purpose crops, and use of concentrate feeds.

One positive effect of the project is the elimination of the government's doleout system, which was earlier advocated through the livestock dispersal scheme. Instead, the farmers were empowered through capability building.

"When farmers are empowered with wisdom and right attitude, they easily embrace new technologies and implement them with a good bonding as farmer-partners in agricultural development," Datuin said.

Amazingly, the number of farmers who adopted the new technology increased by 220 percent in Mangatarem, Pangasinan and Galimuyod, Ilocos Sur. The FLS was not even conducted in Galimuyod and yet other farmers adopted the new technology upon seeing that it works.

The percentage increase of technology adopters in the other sites was as follows: Vigan City, 200; Bugallon, 175; Bani, 170; and Alaminos City, 161.

When asked to rank the technologies introduced to them in terms of importance, the farmers enumerated housing, deworming and upgrading as the top three technologies.

Adoption of elevated housing, stall feeding and regular deworming reduced parasitic load of the animals as well as respiratory diseases.

In general, the number of goats in the techno-demo sites almost doubled from 1,371 to 2,498. However, the goat population in Bani increased tremendously by 168 percent from 112 to 301. The population in Bugallon also increased by 150 percent from 173 to 434, while that in Mangatarem increased by 90 percent from 538 to 1,023.

"As the institutionalized goat techno-demo project moves on to achieve greater impacts, it shall reach out to many small hold farmers with greater commitment and dedication to serve," Datuin said. The joy of seeing farmers enjoy the benefits from the new technology is more than enough reward for one's efforts, she added.