The Department of Agriculture has challenged farmers in Oriental Negros to turn to raising high-breed goats by availing of its Goat Artificial Insemination program.

Livestock division chief Joel Elumba of the DA regional office and development division director Pete Ocampo made the challenge at the recent weeklong seminar-workshop and training on the AI.

Elumba said few farmers in the country have availed of the program, which was introduced decades ago yet to improve the breeding of livestock like goats, cattle and carabaos.

Ocampo said semen of the Nobian and Boier goat high breeds is available at the Provincial Veterinary Office.

The country has a total of 2,412 imported breeds of goat, three-fourths of which are shipped by private breeders and 157 by the national government, he said.

He said that goat-raising is only number six in livestock production nationwide, the top two being hog and poultry raising.

Ocampo said goat production is "very low' despite a high demand for goat meat. He added that 99 percent of goats raised were the backyard types that weigh less than 20 kilos.

The PVO and the Association of Artificial Insemination Practitioners in Oriental Negros spearheaded the AI workshop participated in by government and private AI technicians from the Fungi Farms of Bais City, Hermie Rona Farms of Dumaguete City, and the Odon Quico Farms of Abis, Mabinay town.*RG --

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