The first batch of the Farmer-Level Training on Native Goat Production and Management was successfully concluded from April 27 to 29, 2026, at the Park Lay Suites in the City of Kidapawan, Cotabato Province. The three-day capacity-building activity focused on equipping local livestock raisers with advanced technical knowledge and practical management skills. By promoting sustainable and cost-effective animal husbandry methodologies, the training aims to help farmers maximize farm productivity and establish more profitable native goat enterprises.

Ms. Rosalie S. Cagatin from the Bureau of Animal Industry served as the main resource expert for the course. She facilitated comprehensive lecture sessions covering essential aspects of goat husbandry, including balanced nutritional feeding, climate-resilient housing designs, strategic breeding protocols, and proactive herd health and disease prevention. Her discussions focused heavily on low-cost technologies and alternative farm inputs that smallholder farmers can easily implement using locally available resources in their respective barangays.

A major highlight of the training was the practical, hands-on workshop dedicated to manufacturing supplemental feeds and natural health promoters. Participants actively fabricated Urea Molasses Mineral Blocks (UMMB), a high-nutrient feed supplement designed to improve digestion and enhance the overall growth performance of ruminants during lean foraging seasons. Additionally, the raisers learned how to concoct liquid probiotics, a natural management tool that helps optimize intestinal health, boost livestock immunity, and reduce reliance on synthetic commercial treatments.

The training program concluded with a formal graduation ceremony attended by OIC Center Director Dr. Jessie V. Beldia. In his address, he challenged the graduates to transition immediately from theoretical learning to active field application, noting that real agricultural development happens when modern technologies are adopted on the ground. He emphasized that the newly trained farmers are now vital institutional partners who are expected to cascade their knowledge to fellow raisers, thereby driving the collective growth and resilience of the local livestock sector across Cotabato Province.