MANILA, Philippines - Indeed, there is money in goat raising, according to Ebenezer Goat Farm, the biggest goat and sheep importer in the country today, which has helped Filipino livestock raisers improve the breed of local stocks by crossing them with imported goats and sheeps.
Owned by businessmen father and son Jonie Valencia and Jeff Valencia, the agricultural company located on the hilly side of Capas, Tarlac, recently imported 2,400 heads of goat and sheep from Australia to be distributed to many Filipino livestock raisers, including the Philippine government for its livestock dispersal program for Filipino farmers. The imported animals are of the Boer, Saaneen and Dorpen breeds.
The goats and sheeps were transported by an eight-hour plane ride from Australia to the Philippines to minimize or prevent mortality while in transit.
“We help the Philippine government by supplying its requirement for goats and sheeps for some of its projects covered by its dispersal program of the animals to Filipino farmer recipients,” Jonie Valencia said.
The older of the two Valencias, Jonie said the imported goats and sheeps can help improve the bloodline of Philippine native animals.
Studiess show that the native goat can reach a maximum weight of only 15 kilos to 20 kilos while an imported breed like Boer weighs anywhere from 120 kilos to 150 kilos.
Valencia said his agricultural company doesn’t really earn much by selling goats, sheeps and even horses to Filipino farmers as his mark-up for each animal is minimal as this is not his main business which is supplying zinc to shipowners and builders.
“Goat farming is only my hobby and I find it meaningful and joyful as I can help the Philippine government, including Filipino farmers to improve the bloodline of their native goats and sheeps and to upgrade its meat and milk,” Valencia said.
He said his son Jeff is now taking over the goat farm business particularly the importation of the flocks from Australia and other countries. “I only handle the breeding of the livestock in the farm,” he added.
According to Valencia, the imported animals are adaptable to the climate of the country and they are not hard to be reared as they eat native grass though it should be complemented by concentrated feeds as the grass in the Philippines contains only two percent protein unlike in Australia where the grass contains 18 percent protein.
The breeding of the imported goats is a good business as each mother goat can give birth every six months or three times within two years. Normally, the mother goat can give birth to two offsprings for every delivery or six offsprings for every two years.
Some livestock raisers who obtained their imported stocks from the Ebenezer Goat Farm include former Reps. Dodot Jaworski, Toti Carino, Abdullah Dimaporo and Sandy Javier of the Andok’s chicken food business conglomerate.
“There is money in goat raising or in any agricultural business that is the reason why I go into it,” Jeff Valencia said.