OCT 28, 2015

NR # 4001

Solon seeks establishment of center to promote

and develop goat & sheep production in RP
House leader is seeking the establishment of a Philippine Institute on Small
Ruminant Research and Development (PhilSR) which will promote and develop goat and
sheep production in rural areas through research and development activities.
House Deputy Speaker and Isabela 4th District Rep. Giorgidi B. Aggabao said
although goat and sheep production has become a popular activity in the country, there has
been no impressive growth in the development of the local small ruminant industry up
until the early part of the new millennium.
This was largely attributed to inferior quality of stocks coupled with poor
production management of the raisers, said Aggabao.
Aggabao said his proposal to establish the PhilSR hopes to address this problem,
and in the long run address three important government programs namely: food security;
poverty alleviation; and support to allied industries.
The establishment of the PhilSR aims to improve goat and sheep production in the
rural areas through research and development activities, empower producers to develop
goat and sheep raising as an enterprise through the application of modern technologies,
and building capacity of different stakeholders, said Aggabao.
In rural areas in Region II or Cagayan Valley Region, Aggabao said small ruminant
production has been a popular activity because of the wide fertile land available for
pasture and grazing activities.
For this reason, goat and sheep became a secondary source of income among small
farmers, said Aggabao.
A ruminant is a type of animal that brings up food from its stomach and chews it
again, for example a cow, sheep, camel, goat and deer. Ruminants digest food in their
four-chambered stomach with the help of special bacteria, protozoa, and fungi.
In House Bill 6081, Aggabao sought the establishment of the Philippine Institute on
Small Ruminant Research and Development (PhilSR) as an attached agency of the Isabela
State University (ISU) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) that will improve goat and
sheep production in the rural areas.

The PhilSR shall have a main office at ISU in Echague, Isabela and may establish
satellite stations in strategic regions under the supervision of a state university as
identified by the PhilSR Board of Trustees.
The PhilSR shall be headed by an Executive Director who shall be appointed by the
President of the Philippines, upon the recommendation of the Board of Trustees, and
based on the evaluation of Search Committee through the Office of the DA Secretary.
The PhilSR, within six months from effectivity of the Act, shall formulate a
Strategic Framework on Research, Development and Extension for Small Ruminant
Industry which shall serve as the basis for developing programs on goat and sheep towards
performance improvement, diverse market opportunities and economic viability, action
plans, and monitoring activities.
Components of the strategic framework shall include production management,
nutrition and forage management, health, breeding using artificial reproductive
techniques, post production, product development, socio-economics, and gender
development, among others.
Among the duties and functions of the PhilSR are: Lead and coordinate a national
network for the implementation of research and development programs in all parts of the
country; Plan, monitor, evaluate and conduct programs for the improvement of small
ruminant production, and extension activities for the producers; Create information
database and analyze data from the producers and package and share new technologies
and knowledge through modern information and communication approaches; Identify and
develop roadmap toward efficient production management through application of
appropriate socio-economic measures and encourage public-private partnership; Develop
and guide public policy formulation and pursue policy advocacy that will stimulate and
sustain small ruminant production, processing and marketing systems; and Organize
producers and encourage them to become entrepreneurs through technology adoption and
commercialization.
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) shall allot an amount of P50
million for the initial budget of the PhilSR and shall be included in the General
Appropriations Act (GAA).
The bill is now pending at the Committee on Agriculture and Food chaired by Rep.
Mark Llandro L. Mendoza (4th District, Batangas). (30) rbb