Production of genetically improved livestock and poultry in Negros Occidental continues to increase amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Provincial Veterinarian Renante Decena said today, January 14.
He said the project under the Provincial Animal Genetic Improvement Program (PAGIP) is meeting the current breeding and production needs of various industry stakeholders.
Through breed infusion under PAGIP, new bloodlines of cattle had been produced at PVO’s operated farms last year through artificial insemination, using imported semen, he said.
The Negros First Ranch (NFR) and Provincial Livestock Breeding Center and Dairy Farm (PLBCDF) are now starting to produce new variants of wagyu, angus and geirolando cattle known for having superior meat and dairying quality, he also said.
Currently, the province has four breeding centers, he said.
Last year 1,000 breeder piglets were distributed to 31 localities in the province for sow making, aimed to increase breeding herd population and pork production, Decena said.
Each local government unit received 30 heads, or a total of 930 heads, while the remaining 70 heads were distributed to the members of the Alliance of Hog Raisers Association of Negros Occidental (AHRANO), a long-time partner people’s organization of PVO in genetic improvement and development of backyard swine industry in the province, he said.
The province also turned over three poultry multipliers last year, worth P550,000 each.
The province now has nine existing duck multipliers and 12 free-range chicken multipliers, Decena said.
These multiplier farms have served as a breeding-base and source of stocks to boost and improve Pekin duck and free-range chicken production in the province, he said.
PAGIP is a provincial initiative to upgrade the genetic composition of the locally-existing breeder livestock and poultry through the infusion of purebred breeder stocks to backyard raisers, he added.*