BY ADRIAN P. NEMES III
The production of genetically-improved livestock and poultry in Negros Occidental, under the Provincial Animal Genetic Improvement Program (PAGIP), continues amid the Covid pandemic, to meet the breeding and production needs of industry stakeholders.
Provincial Veterinarian Renante Decena said that through the breed infusion under PAGIP, new bloodlines of cattle has been produced at the PVO’s operated farms last year, through artificial insemination using imported semen.
PAGIP is a provincial initiative to upgrade the genetic composition of local breeder livestock and poultry, through the infusion of purebred breeder stocks to backyard raisers. It is one of the flagship programs of the provincial government, through the PVO, that continues its mandate of improving and upgrading the genetic makeup of local livestock and poultry animals provincewide.
NEW VARIANTS
Decena said the Negros First Ranch and the Provincial Livestock Breeding Center and Dairy Farm started producing new variants of wagyu, angus, and girolando cattle that are known for having superior meat and dairying quality.
He said the PVO was also able to infuse 1,000 breeder piglets that it distributed to 31 component cities and municipalities to increase the breeding herd population and pork production.
The PVO also distributed 70 piglets to members of the Alliance of Hog Raisers’ Associations of Negros Occidental, a long-time partner people’s organization of PVO in genetic improvement and development of backyard swine industry in the province.
Aside from breeder stocks distribution, the PVO has also inaugurated and turned over various facilities, like swine artificial insemination and laboratory centers.
In the poultry sector, the province turned over and made operational three poultry multipliers last year, which is a package consisting of a building, hatching and brooding facilities/equipment, and startup breeders, valued at P550,000 each, Decena said.
With this, the province now has nine existing duck multipliers and 12 free-range chicken multipliers, he said. The multiplier farms serve as breeding-base and source of stocks to boost and improve pekin duck and free-range chicken production in the province.*
