Goat Industry in Pangasinan to thrive more with GPN

 Lingayen – Goat industry in Pangasinan may thrive more as backyard raisers and goat raisers will be encouraged to engage on ‘goat production network’ (GPN), a project which seeks to help increase goat production to eventually bring more business ventures for the industry stakeholders.

            This was bared by Asingan Sheep and Goat Raisers Association (ASGA) President Nestor Salvador during a courtesy call on Governor Amado T. Espino, Jr. last September 29 as he said that the concept of GPN will help develop backyard raisers, to become entrepreneurs or “contract growers” and later on become core or breeder farm who will produce required kids for fattening by other contract growers.

            Mr. Salvador along with some board of directors of Nagkaisa, a cooperative under ASGA, informed Governor Espino that the idea of GPN will help resolve the slow and inconsistent goat production in the province.

            Governor Espino, who vowed to help the ASGA on the implementation of the GPN, said that the project will contribute a lot to the goat industry of the province even as he said that it will benefit Pangasinenses through employment generation.

Salvador noted that the goat production project will involve low maintenance and labor cost so more farmers could afford to engage in it.

             It was learned that a 4.1-hectare land in barangay Sinapog in Asingan town is being eyed to be developed as an eco-tourism zone which will include an area for goat raising ventures.

            The provincial government, according to Salvador, will play a vital role for the project, particularly for the construction of a farm-to-market road that is 600m from the project location to the national highway. A concept plan for the housing of goats has also been drafted by the Provincial Engineering Office.

            Meanwhile, Mr. Lito Sales, member of the board of directors of Nagkaisa, noted that an increased goat production will serve as a resource for a large-scale ‘goat meat processing’ in Pangasinan.

            Sales said support ventures to include dairy processing, feed making, servicing for forage development, product development and research and the establishment of a network marketing group among others could also be achieved later on through the project

            “With the realization of the GPN network project, Pangasinan will most likely become a showroom of goat raising in the country,” Salvador said.

            /Mark Gerry Naval Oblanca