GOATS HAVE MONEY

Do you know that you can be a millionaire by just raising goats?

Unbelievable but true!

Goats are usually raised as side-line to get extra income, but not anymore. Goats can now be a business enterprise or project where all can invest and get millions of money.

“Goats are rural asset”. This is emphasized by Dr. Wilson A. Cerbito, Regional and Technical Director for Research and Development of the Department of Agriculture (DA) regional office, and his co-researchers in their study. Rural areas are just lucky to have wide and favorable areas for pasture and housing needed in raising goats. This means we can raise more goats!

Mr. Wilfredo Impoc, an owner of a goat farm in Brgy. Tinghub, Villaba, Leyte, is a proof that goat is a very good source of income in rural areas. He is not a millionaire by now but he confessed that by raising goats, he was able to support the studies of his children and his family’s basic needs. He was only an elementary graduate and a farmer of coconut and other crops like corn, but by attending seminars and his love for goats, he was able to have a goat farm. From 15 goats at the beginning until it became hundreds. He said that he has not yet invested in goat-based production but if given a chance, he will.

These are the different goat-based enterprises where you can get more money: processing of goat’s meat like in tucino or longganisa, milk into condensed milk and manure; canning of chevon (meat from adult goat) recipes; vacuum-packing of frozen choice cut-ups of chevon; and fresh goat’s milk production for people who wants to drink fresh milk. All of these will surely be popular in the market and the consumers will be after it because of the low fat content of goat’s meat.

There are also goat milk-based personal care products. These are making of soaps and lotions; processing of organic fertilizers from goat manure; production of flavored yogurt, yogurt drinks, pastilles and milk gelatin: production of feed materials; commercialization of forage seeds and forage cuttings and; production and marketing of urea molasses mineral, concentrates, leaf meals, and palletized total mixed rations.

With these different goat-based enterprises and having a farm with so many goats that are raised well, then it is not impossible to become a millionaire someday. But of course it will take so many efforts, patience, time and money to achieve this especially to those who have just started or still planning to raise goats.       

Dr. Lolito Bestil, Dean of the Dept. of Animal Science in Visayas State University, Baybay Leyte, has some advice to those who are planning to raise goats. ”They have to develop their pastures before they obtain goats to have an adequate feed supply; they might start constructing the shed because what the goats need is an elevated housing and; they should start reading, studying and attending seminars about goat production.”

Having big income is not only the reason why we should raise goats; it has also other benefits according to Dr. Bestil. “First, it is advantageous over other animals in terms of meat characteristics because goat is about 800% lower in total fat content than pork and beef and about 65% lower in saturated fat content than beef, therefore, it is a meat that can be recommended for people with cardiovascular problems and even cancer victims. Second, being small compared to cattle, goats fit to small land holdings of majority of the farmers. Third, goat can help to a crop production system being able to control weeds and provide organic fertilizer from manure and urine. Lastly, goats can be raised by children and women who are not capable of raising large ruminat animal like cattle.”

With the economic crisis we are currently facing and health problems some of us are experiencing, goats might be the solution to our problems.

♥chel_v♥