Imported breeds dominate animal production in the country, but native animals are gradually making a comeback.
Native animals, however, do not compare in productivity with the imported breeds. This constraint, coupled with the drastic changes in the world’s temperature and ecosystems, challenge the country’s small farm enterprises who want to maximize the advantages these animals offer.
These challenges spurred PCARRD, the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC), and the Food and Fertilizer Technology Center for the Asian and Pacific Regions (FFTC-ASPAC) to hold an international confab on native animals on July 19─23, 2010 at PCC located at the premises of Central Luzon State University (CLSU) in the Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija.
Highlighting the socioeconomic importance of native animals, specifically chicken, cattle, buffalo, and pig, the conference boasted the attendance of resource speakers from Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand, as well as researchers and scientists from the Philippines.
PCARRD Executive Director Patricio Faylon welcomed the participants and emphasized the native animals’ ability to survive and adapt to natural environments even with minimal intervention. An expert on livestock himself, he added that the low production cost of native animals places them well within the resource-poor farmers’ capabilities.
Faylon also encouraged the participants to share technologies and means to sustainable production of the native species while mitigating the damaging effects of environmental change. He then challenged the attendees to empower rural dwellers with the needed information and training so that raising native animals would advance from simple production to profitable rural enterprises.