Goat production recommended in HALAL clustered areas

Created on Monday, 25 July 2022

Goat is one of the recommended priority commodities for HALAL production in the identified HALAL Cluster areas.

This was the topic during the Advance Training on Goat Production and Assistance, held at a hotel in Cebu City, conducted by the Department of Agriculture-Central Visayas (DA7).

The training, attended by two farmer associations in Cebu, namely United Farmers and Fisherman Association of Malhiao (UFFAM) of Badian and Lower Natimao-an Multi-Purpose Cooperative of Carmen, was aimed to educate the farmers, fishers and the farmer cooperatives and associations (FCAs) to produce HALAL goat for meat and milk purposes.

In his opening message, DA7 OIC-Regional Executive Director (RED) Joel Elumba said that FCAs play big roles in the whole food production value chains and these, if given focus, lead to food sufficiency and security. He also said that producing safe, clean and nutritious foods are very important in the food intake of consumers, irregardless of religions and beliefs.

Mayolyn Majaducon, the HALAL coordinator of DA7, said that goats are considered HALAL as long as the foods they (goat) eat like feeds are not contaminated with any pork residues like lard. She further said that there is already a HALAL goat production standards crafted by the Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards (BAFS) to serve as guide for the HALAL entreprenuers.

Aurangzeb M. Ali, Chief, Admin and Finance Division of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos-Visayas (NCMF) said that the program (HALAL) of DA is geared for the development of the farmers and for the HALAL industry. The production of HALAL like meat, he said, is lagging behind in our country, he said.

Ali said that HALAL is a dollar earner industry. If the region will push for the development of the halal industry, this will give more livelihood to the people. The economy in the country will expand and help promote the tourism industry because of the increase in demand for HALAL foods in hotels and restaurants, he said.

Majadcon said that each of the two associations will receive 30 heads of goats from the Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa (BP2) Program of DA.

The training was in collaboration with the NCMF, BAFS and the Local Government Units of Badian and Carmen, Cebu.