Agriculture Business Week

Raising goats as an enterprise is very appealing to entrepreneurs – not just in the Philippines, but in other countries as well. It is especially popular among Filipino entrepreneurs because raising goats entail low initial capital investment. The animal also fits the small hold farm conditions, and they proliferate fast.

At present, raising goats as a business is widely practiced by commonly by small farmers or backyard raisers where a farmer raises one to two goats. Commercial-scale goat farming is also steadily increasing as the demand for the product increases. Goats provide livelihood to about 15 million Filipinos across the country today.

Goats as one of the main sources of milk and meat have not been fully maximized in the country. However, consumers are starting to recognize goat’s milk as a product of good value. It is more digestible compared to cow’s milk, yet with a much lower cost. Goats are multi-purpose ruminants, and a study discloses that this animal produces 58.4% milk, 35.6% meat, 4.3% hide, and 1.7% fiber. Goats can provide the answer to improve nutritional requirements of the predominantly rural farm families in the country.

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Posted on July 11th, 2010 under Entrepreneurs, Livestock. Tags: Entreprenuers, Goat, Meat. Comments: 1

Pilmico Animal Nutrition Corporation solely sponsored the 3rd Backyard Congress last April 10, 2010 at Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Davao City with the theme “The Diamond Program for Profitable Pork Production”. The event was the culmination of the 19th Hog Convention and Trade Exhibits organized by the Pork Producers Federation of the Philippines (ProPork).

The event started with a motorcade from Magsaysay Street to the Bangko Sentral ng Filipinas in Davao City. Joining the caravan was ProPork President Albert T. Lim.

The congress was formally opened by Hendel P. Cabral, Pilmico Vice President for Sales and Marketing. Welcome addresses were given by ProPork President Albert T. Lim, BAI Director Davino Catbagan and Congress Chairman Eliseo Yu. The federation presented a plaque of appreciation to Pilmico for their sponsorship to the Hog Convention and for their solo sponsorship of the Backyard Congress.

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Posted on July 3rd, 2010 under Livestock. Tags: Meat, Pork. Comments: 1

The Animal Products Development Center (APDC), a section of the Research Division of the Bureau of Animal Industry, is a most helpful government agency, if you ask entrepreneurs like Rene Almeda of Alaminos Goat Farm (AGF).

Almeda is most impressed by the professionalism and the dedication of the people running the agency. Of course, he is very thankful for the help APDC has provided AGF in developing a number of goat products. For one, APDC has developed new goat meat products with commercial potential. One of them is the smoked pure chevon longanisa which taste-testers consider superior to other meat sausages in the market.

Another version is the hungarian sausage which is also considered better than its counterparts in the market today. Actually, Josefina Contreras, APDC chief, says that whatever processed meat products that could be made from pork can also be made with goat’s meat.

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Posted on October 20th, 2009 under Entrepreneurs, Income Booster. Tags: APDC, Entrepreneurs, Meat. Comments: 3

Here’s an in-depth look at the world of swine raising and the potential business you can get out of it.

Another biosecurity measure is, regular monitoring of animals for diseases. All incoming livestock must be tested and quarantined before transporting them to the hog house.

Waste management is a key biosecurity measure. Improper waste management in the hog house can inevitably lead to profit losses. Sanitation in the pens may be performed by dry cleaning or by using a power sprayer to minimize water usage in cleaning the pens. The use of slatted flooring also lessens water usage in cleaning. Pens should be built to maintain the pigs’ temperature levels to minimize the need to wash them. Trees and foliage may be planted in the vicinity of the hog house to keep the animals cool in hot weather.

An anaerobic process called biogas production may be used to extract methane gas from the animal wastes. This greatly reduces waste odor in the hog house. Another anaerobic process that can be adapted is the use of a septic tank, commonly known as the poso negro. A lagoon may be built with aerators as an aerobic process of waste management. Solid wastes may also be mixed with plant residues with effective microorganisms like Trichoderma and Azotobacter to produce organic fertilizer within a month.

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Posted on August 31st, 2009 under Livestock. Tags: Disease, Meat, Pigs/Hogs, Swine. Comments: None

Here’s an in-depth look at the world of swine raising and the potential business you can get out of it.

Sows and gilts should be full-fed with a high-energy ration for fourteen days prior to mating to ensure a maximum ovulation rate.

Mating should be done at the most appropriate time for the sow to guarantee the maximum litter size. Signs that a sow is in heat should be closely observed before mating. These include exhibiting restlessness and frequent grunts, mounting other pigs, frequent urination, swelling and reddening of the vulva with possible discharge.

Sows and gilts should be mated to the same boar in one heat period with an interval of 12 to 25 hours. An ideal boar to sow ratio is 1.25 to 30.

Sows should be settled in the furrowing house seven days before expected date of furrowing to give the sow ample time to adjust to her new environment. Sows and gilts should be de-wormed and protected from internal parasites and should be treated for external parasites two weeks before expected furrowing date.

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Posted on August 4th, 2009 under Livestock. Tags: Artificial Insemination, Business, Meat, Pigs/Hogs, Swine. Comments: None

Have you been wanting to start your own duck business? Here’s a no-nonsense guide to jumpstart your way to success.

Waterers used for other poultry like chicken may be used for ducks. However, the size of the duck’s bill should be considered. Waterers such as troughs, cans, or jar-type equipment may be used provided the drinking area is at least 4.0 cm wide. This also applies to automatic trough, cup or Plasson waterers. When using nipple waterers, they should be adjusted to the height of the ducks.

For ducks raised indoors where the floor is bedded with litter, waterers should be located on a wire-mesh screen to reduce wetting of the litter. Commercial duck houses are recommended to have a cement floor drain underneath the water screens.

Starting and growing ducks must be provided with minimum of 2.5 cm or 1 inch of linear watering space per animal. Developing and laying breeders should be provided with 5.0 CRl or 2 inches watering space. When using nipple waterers, 15 nipples should be provided for every 100 starting and growing dticks. Developing and laying breeders should be provided with 20 nipples for every too ducks. Starting ducklings should always have access to watering cans, troughs or jars until the v are able to drink from nipple waterers.

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Posted on August 3rd, 2009 under Poultry. Tags: Duck, Eggs, Meat. Comments: None

Monterey Foods Corporation celebrates its anniversary this year, capping four decades of excellence in meat production and quality retailing.

Monterey’s history is a story of commitment to superior quality meat and meat products. From the time the company started in 1969 with a single 1,200-hectare ranch in Isabela, to its development into a subsidiary of the country’s largest food, beverage, and packing conglomerate, Monterey has maintained rigid standards of quality control.

One of the results of this dedication to excellence is the “farm-to-market” concept that the company espouses. This implies meticulous monitoring and implementation of strict quality controls from breeding to slaughtering, and to transporting all the way to our neighborhood meatshops. Monterey ensures that proper cold chain management is maintained from the time the animals are slaughtered until the time the meat is delivered to the customer.

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Posted on July 28th, 2009 under Livestock. Tags: Isabela, Meat, Monterey. Comments: None

Have you been wanting to start your own duck business? Here’s a no-nonsense guide to jumpstart your way to success.

A small flock of ducks may be raised in the backyard at a low cost. Apart from the brooder, which is needed for the first week or so, facilities and equipment for duck raising are fairly simple. Duck houses must be built in a quiet, cool place and should be at a nearest possible location to a stream or pond. Suitable local materials include bamboo, nipa and cogon. The duck house is ideally located on a well-drained area. Sandy soil is preferable for the duck yard as it drains easily after a rain. The earth floor of the duck house should be bedded with dry absorbent material such as straw or shavings. A low fencing of approximately 61cm is adequate for breeds that are not adept to becoming airborne like Pekins.

However, there two types of commercial duck housing, which are total confinement and semiconfinement. Modern total confinement housing is well insulated and mechanically ventilated. Ducks are isolated in age groups, whether in separate buildings or in separate pens with a solid partition between them. There are also two types of floor design, all wire mesh or a combination of litter and wire mesh with waterers located on the wire.

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Posted on June 17th, 2009 under Poultry. Tags: Duck, Duck Eggs, Duck Meat, Meat, Poultry. Comments: 1

Have you been wanting, your own duck business? Here’s a non-sense guide to jumpstart your way to success.

Duck production is one of the most profitable livestock industries in the Philippines mainly because of its egg which can be marketed through different channels. Duck eggs, both in fresh and preserved forms, are sold and consumed daily throughout the country. Duck meat is also gaining ground in the market today.

Duck production in Asia accounts for more than 80% of total world production, as ducks have been traditionally raised alongside fish farming and rice production. 90% of total duck egg production in the country is used for balut-making. Offsized and infertile eggs are used for processing of century eggs and salted eggs. Dead embryos are sold as penoy. Meat-type ducks are also raised for restaurants, while home consumption duck meat is derived from excess males and culled layers from egg-type ducks.

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Posted on June 7th, 2009 under Poultry. Tags: Duck, Duck Meat, Eggs, Meat. Comments: 37

Prospects have remained bright for our hog industry as two major initiatives are being worked out to boost export and domestic markets of our local pork products.

First is the impending entry of the Philippine pork products to export markets particularly Singapore. Second is the re-launching of the “Pork-in-a-Box” which aims to provide accessible and affordable meat products to Filipino consumers.

GEARING FOR EXPORT MARKET
Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Arthur Yap is optimistic that Philippine meat products can make it in the export markets. Yap who recently visited the Nenita Quality Foods (NQF), a local meat producer in Davao City, was informed that the company is just awaiting for the final accreditation from the Singaporean government for its meat products to enter the Singapore market this year.

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Posted on May 18th, 2009 under Livestock. Tags: Meat, Pigs/Hogs, Pork. Comments: None

Feed compounders and animal nutritionists should take a second, hard look at fish meal processing and utilization for animal feeds. The facts and figures are overwhelming: All fish species used for fish meal and fish oil in both the Pacific and the Atlantic are very important for the marine ecosystem, as they prey for fish, birds and mammals. Increased exploitation of these species to meet the demands from an expanding fish farm industry could very well turn out to be an ecological time bomb.

The November 10, 2008 editorial of The New York Times titled “The Protein Pyramid” is quite alarming, and must be borne in mind when using fish meal as an animal protein source in aquafeeds and monogastric rations. Here it is:

“Per capita meat consumption more than doubled over the past half-century as the global economy expanded. It is expected to double again by 2050. Which raises the question, what does all that meat eat before it becomes meat?

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Posted on March 6th, 2009 under Aquaculture, Livestock. Tags: Animal, Fish, Meat, Protein. Comments: None

Goat farmers may soon have a new market for goat meat as Fortress Food Manufacturing Corporation embarks on two new canned products – sinampalukang kambing(chevon with tamarind soup) and kalderetang kambing(chevon stew).

Amelia R. Coronel, Fortress Food’s general manager, said that the two new products would soon be available commercially after it recently got the Halal certification from the Islamic Dawah Council of the Philippines (IDCP). This means that these products comply with the Islamic standards on food, allowing the Muslim consumers to make canned goat meat as a part of their diet.

There is an increasing demand for less popular meat products that are nutritious but have less cholesterol compared to other meats. “Goat meat can be a good substitute, which contains less fat yet is comparable to other meat in terms of taste,” Coronel added.

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Posted on February 22nd, 2009 under Livestock. Tags: Goat, Goat Meat, Meat. Comments: 5

Zenith Foods Corporation(ZFC), the commissionary plant of Jollibee Foods Corporation(JFC), was adjudge National Winner of Meat Processing Plant “AAA” Category in 2008 search for best meat establishment of the National Meat Inspection Service(NMIS).

The search is spearheaded every year by NMIS, a division of the Department of Agriculture, in recognition of local meat suppliers’ commitment to quality, safety and health standards.

The AAA category is the most prestigious award bestowed to any meat processing establishment in the country. Zenith bested three other national finalists that qualified for this year’s most coveted award.
Department of Agriculture assistant secretary Salvador Salacup and OIC executive director of NMIS Jane C. Bacayo presented the award to Zenith led by its AVP for plant operations Wilma Bocaya, commissary head Jim Quimbo and quality assurance manager Lindy Urbano in ceremonies held at the Bureau of Soils and Water Management Convention Hall in Diliman, Quezon City.

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Posted on January 27th, 2009 under Entrepreneurs, Livestock, SPOTlight. Tags: Jollibee, Meat. Comments: None

Yes to Safe Meat, Not to Hot Meat

Wholesomeness
When buying meat, the most important point to consider is its wholesomeness. All meat produced in meat plants accredited by NMIS must be inspected and certified for their wholesomeness. Meat that has passed inspection for wholesomeness is stamped with the mark “inspected” and “passed.” The mark is stamped in carcasses.

Hot Meat
Refers to carcass or parts of carcass of food animal which was slaughtered in an unregistered establishment and has not undergone the required inspection. Hot meat is being sold across provincial border without certification of its wholeness.

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Posted on December 3rd, 2008 under Agri Tips, Aquaculture, Livestock. Tags: Meat. Comments: None