Speech Presented at Dairy Congress at Cagayan de Oro May 7, 2008
Dairy Congress Goat Dairying in the Tropics
Magandang hapon po sa inyong lahat. Ako po ay si Rene Almeda ng Alaminos Goat Farm. We are known in the industry as the producer of the most pampered Boer goats in the Philippines and we intend to become the first commercial Grade A Dairy Goat Farm in the country. We market our fresh pasteurized goats milk in Metro Manila , Southern Tagalog under the brand name MILK STAR. On June 6, 2008, we will formally inaugurate our Mini Dairy Plant which is equipped with a Milk Pro Pasteurization Unit in Alaminos, Laguna.
The recurring problem of rice supply in the Philippines bring forward the issue of food security . With prices of rice rising in the world market it puts a lot of pressure on government finances to import rice. Dairy milk is another product that is too much Dependent on imports. The Philippines produces only 2% of total demand for milk in 2007 according to NDA. What we produce is just a mere drop in the bucket.
We at Alaminos Goat farm have done a lot of pioneering work in Dairy Goat Farming in the tropics. Although we need more time to verify the data we gathered, say another year May 2009 to confirm that goat dairying in the tropics is a sustainable and profitable undertaking.
Part of our plan is to create awareness about goat dairying so that our policy makers in government will see the opportunity of producing milk and meat. You can just imagine the effect in the countryside for our farmers with governments support producing milk for his families nutritional needs and meat as a livelihood option. The more you think about it the more you realize the unlimited opportunities. For private investors who have the money to invest producing the genetic material to supply the requirement of dairy goat farmers is an option.
This afternoon allow me to share with you our story entitled Dairy Goat Farming in the Tropics. The story is based on our farm experiences in raising dairy goats, producing fresh goats milk and breeder goats. The marketing of fresh goats milk is an important and vital part of the story. My son Art handles the Boer operation while I handle the dairy operation. My son Toti handles the marketing of our Milk Star brand of fresh pasteurize goats milk.
We have strong presence in the internet and you can get a glimpse of what we are doing by visiting our website at www.alaminosgoatfarm.com
Our story started exactly a year ago today in month of May 2007 with the arrival of 100 commercial and Purebred Saanen Dairy Goats from Australia in Subic Bay Free Port in Olongapo City. They came in on board a FEDEX plane from Sydney Australia then we trucked them to our farm in Alaminos , Laguna. The dairy goats came from an area with a
temperate and arid weather condition going to the Philippines with a hot, humid and wet weather. This poses as a challenge to any animal husbandry practitioner.
UPON ARRIVAL OF THE DAIRY GOATS IN OUR FARM IN ALAMINOS, they were place inside an elevated and fully aluminum insulated roof pens. They were in full confinement, group at 4 each pens. They were individually given electrolytes for the first time two hours after arrival. Fresh forage grass and legumes were made available all day. In late afternoon small amount of feeds
were given and gradually we increase the feed intake daily until they eat 800 grams per day of concentrate feeds. Focus were given to poor eaters and they were given dextrose in their drinking water and are forced to drink (supak). The goats are observed carefully until they attain the target feed intake daily.
To our surprise it has adapted very well to the husbandry practices in the farm in a short time. They love to eat legumes, indigofera, centrosema, rensoni, ipilipil and our main forage grass napier or elephant grass Plus our very palatable high energy feed concentrates. The dairy goats are fed forage grass and legumes a cut and carry style.
Power point Milking records
The dairy goats are now averaging 2.2 kilos of milk per day with an average kidding size 1.6 with an average weaning size 1.5 kids at weaning. This records are bound to improve as the dairy goats mature during their 2nd to fourth kidding.
We are on our way to reach a production target of 150 kilos per day by the end of May 2008. By May 2009 we are targeting to double our production to 300 kilos to 400 kilos per day. A lot of people in the academe are skeptical about our targets, they say it is to ambitious. Our response , we will work hard and invest more capital to attain our milk production target.
The challenge is on to produce fresh goats milk in commercial quantity by 2009. The only problem when we announce our goals in public forims like this , is that if we fail everyone will know but I guess that’s the risk we have to take to create awareness that dairy goat farming is a viable and a sustainable project in a tropical country like the Philippines . The Filipino can produce fresh goat milk in commercial quantity and that goat’s milk is the closes to mother’s milk.
The performance of the Saanen dairy goats for first freshning is some sort of records in the Philippines if we can track it down. We had a lot of visitors from the academe and they amazed with our performance in goat dairying. As their seal of approval they bring their students in animal husbandry to witness actual milking of the goats in the farm.
Think about the possibilities of producing goat’s milk and selling dairy goats breeders on how it will impact on the profitability. Goats milk being rare in the market and with all its health benefits will always command a premium in terms of selling price. Target market would be A and B market. It could be considered a niche product. That is why we are have travelled a long way from Alaminos, Laguna to share you today our experiences in Goat Dairying in the Tropics to create awareness. We are documenting all the things we are doing and we intend to come up with a book and a Video entitled Dairy Goat Farming in the Tropics.
Nutrition
If you want to be successful in raising goats and produce milk, Nutrition is the biggest single factor you have to address after the breeding goats..
Goats being ruminant requires forage grass and legumes. We have invested our time and money to improve our pasture grass and legumes in the property which we fed our goats cut and carry style. They are fed a feed concentrate diet with an energy level of 11.8 mega joules per kilogram and with 16% protein level . Palatability of the feed ration was address so that the dairy goats will eat the right amount of volume. The feeding regimen is followed religiously as regards to time schedule. They are fed four times a day starting with 6:00 am feeding of feed concentrate followed by forage grass and legumes with the last feeding at 7:00 pm. No abrupt changes in the feed ingredients are permitted, in case changes has to be done it is done gradually. This avoid the problem of bloat acidosis.
Our decade long experience in the nineties in feeding feedlot cattle from Australia
have serve us well in our goat dairy project. We started raising Boer goats in 2005 and all the experienced we gained we applied in feeding our Saanen Dairy goats. In May 2007 we started the goat dairy operation. By November we were already starting to produce milk, by December we were trial marketing our Milk Star fresh goat’s milk in the market. The common single factor after genetics for a successful goat enterprise ,which we discovered early is NUTRITION which is the secret for our success be it cattle feedloting, Raising Boer goats and now dairying.
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As word goes around about our success in raising Boer,Saanen dairy goats and in producing goats milk, request for farm visits mounts. We are often asked, what is the secret of our success? Our firm answer is always the same, the earlier you realize the importance of nutrition in raising ruminants the better for you, it is the secret of successful ruminant raisers.
As we look up to science to justify our statement about the importance of nutrition in ruminant feeding I would like to share with you what we have learned.
The order of priority where the feed intake goes after fermentation process are done with and nutrients are now available it goes to the needs for:
1. Maintenance
2. Growth
3. Reproduction
The first priority is maintenance for survival if there is an extra energy then growth and the last priority is reproduction. That is why the energy level content
of the feed is very important because only when there is excess energy available after meeting the energy requirement for maintenance and growth will it go for reproduction to produce the KIDS and the MILK.
Show an empty bottle to represent the product goat, pouring milk half to represent insufficient feed intake and filling the bottle full to represent full feeding representing a full bottle
To prove our point we did a Small farm research in feeding goats the right amount of energy, protein, calcium , phosphorus, vitamins and micro minerals. The data on kidding were analyze and today we would like to share with you the result of this small farm research.
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Power point presentation
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Feeding Program at Alaminos Goat FARM FOR BREEDERS |
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After almost a year of goat raising Alaminos Goat Farm decided to go full time in Boer goat raising. In January 2006, it was decided to supplement the feeding of its goat breeders with concentrate feeds full time. The idea is to meet the energy, protein, calcium, phosphorus, vitamins and micro mineral requirement of the breeder goats for multiple births heavier kids at birth and weaning. It was decided to feed them a 16 % protein , with a metabolise energy of 11.8 mega joules per kilogram . Calcium is at 0.8687% and phosphorus at 0.521%
This study was undertaken to verify that giving supplementary feed concentrate to breeding goats with the right amount of energy and protein will result in improved reproduction.
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Average Kidding Size at Birth and Weaning
In the first half of 2006, the results were evaluated with a disappointing 1.4 average kidding size although we were happy with the quality of weanlings produced in terms of weight, size , smooth and shiny hair. After going back to the records, it was established that single births were from first kidding young does. It was decided to continue with the feeding program and come up with a final evaluation in late December 2006. In the second half of 2006, there was a dramatic increase in kidding size, with the average kidding size at birth going up to 1.85 kids. This brought up the average for the whole year of 2006 to 1.61 kids at birth and 1.50 kids average at weaning.
In 2007, the farm recorded an average litter size of 1.935 kids at birth, this is an improvement of 20 % compared to the average litter size for the whole year of 2006. For 2007, a total of 267 does kidded a total of 511 kids.
The effect of the feeding program started to show at the beginning of the second half of 2006 and further improvement has been recorded up to October 2007. A slight drop in kidding size performance was recorded in last quarter of 2007. It was noted that around 24 young Saanen does kidded during this period with 14 recording single birth.
Conclusion
The mark improvement in kidding size and the lower moralities recorded indicate the success of the feeding program. Reproduction is the last priority in the hierarchy of where the nutrients supplied will go, that is why any inadequacy in feed intake will result to negative energy intake, hence lower production data in the breeding performance. Feed the goats the adequate amount for it to meet it's energy requirements for maintenance, growth and reproduction.
For every successful goat raising enterprise you will see Nutrition is a key factor for their success.
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I have lots of fond memories when we were starting, I remember at the start we were giving away free goat’s milk to relatives and friends and some would even refuse the offer. Some said they were lactose intolerant, some would say goaty smell etc. We started researching and we found a lot of health benefits about goats milk. Our very first serious dealer was a close family friend named
Dr. Severino Yu, owner of Save Drug Store in Binan, Laguna and the canteen in Binan Doctors Hospital.
Things started to improve when I was able to convince my son Toti who was then playing basketball in the PBL to change career and be our brand manager. With the discipline from being in sports all his life he work his way marketing our Milk Star Brand of fresh goat’s Milk. Through networking with friends and relatives he started moving around hitting the TAGAYTAY Pasalubong Market. Then he made it in Los Banos, then to Salcedo weekend Market meeting more customers then Market Market and Tiendesitas, then at the weekend Lung Center Market. We have a strong presence at the gasoline stations at the South Luzon Expressway during weekends.
I remember the words I told my son Toti when he was starting to market our Milk Star Brand of fresh goats milk. I told him it is just like going fishing parang nangingisda ka lang subok ka ng subok try ka lang ng try and somewhere along the way you will catch the big fish. The important thing is to work hard and have a plan on how to reach your goals never lose hope, a new day will always bring new opportunities for those who work hard.
As we double our production by end of May 08 we target to enter the supermarket and grocery trade. We still have a long way to go with marketing our Milk Star Fresh Goat’s Milk as we await approval of our BFAD certificate to operate and certificate of Product Registration . We are knocking at the doors of SM hyper mart,SM supermarket , Robinsons, South SuperMarket and Rustans. Hopefully by June we could enter the supermarket trade when all our papers are in order.
Acknowledgment
I would like to acknowledge our president Mr. Danilo Fausto for his contribution in the organizing the players in the Dairy Industry. I first get to know about Danny through his book Dare to Dream After reading the book , I learned a lot of insights in dairying in the Philippines . I passed on the book to my son Toti who handles marketing of our Milk Star brand Fresh Goat’s Milk. He told me he learned a lot of things from reading Dare to Dream book of our President Mr. Danilo Fausto.
Thank you for all the work you have done for the dairy industry, I hope you continue to pursue your endeavor to make dairying in the Philippines a sustainable and profitable industry for the stakeholders. I know it is long and hard road ahead of us,. We at Alaminos Goat Farm will always be behind you to lend our support . Mr. President, Danilo Fausto Maraming Maraming Salamat Po.
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