BOLINAO, Pangasinan- A total of 22 coconut farmers from Brgy. Patar and Brgy. Estanza took part in the Training on Native Goat Production and Management conducted on August 29-31, 2023 at the Modern Skills Technical Training and Assessment Center (MSTTAC).
The training equipped the coconut farmers with necessary knowledge, skills, and attitude in integrating native goat with their current coconut farming activities. Specifically, the three-day training enabled the farmers to understand the economic opportunities of coconut and native goat farming system; identify the basic requirements and management activities in raising native goats; demonstrate husbandry practices; and perform food preservation techniques, such as making of urea molasses mineral block (UMMB) and processing of forages and silage.
Among the resource persons who facilitated the knowledge-sharing activities of the training were Mr. Bonlizardo E. Cabrera of the Philippine Coconut Authority and graduates of the regional training of trainers to include Mr. Romeo V. Manalo of the Manaloโs Integrated Farm, Bani, Pangasinan; and Mr. Keisuke Jon DC. Quinitio of the Hacienda Quinitio Integrated Farm, Infanta, Pangasinan.
Meanwhile, the hands-on demonstration activities and field tour of the participants were done at the JP Sunrise Goat in Alaminos City, Pangasinan- a certified Learning Site for Agriculture owned by Mr. Jason Nathaniel D. Po. Mr. Po shared their practices in managing a goat farm that include their housing management, husbandry activities, and forage processing.
One of the major outputs of the participants was their re-entry plans indicating their future steps in strengthening their associations towards accessing various interventions under the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan (CFIDP).
The said training was one of the initiatives of the Agricultural Training Institute-Regional Training Center 1 to support community-based farm enterprise development activities.
