The goat farming industry in Isabela is expected to thrive after a successful embryo transfer and artificial insemination in Echague.
On September 26, 2024, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and Isabela State University (ISU) introduced a herd of goats born through embryo transfer technology.
The breakthrough aims to boost the local goat industry by producing superior breeds faster.
The project presented five young goats produced using the semen of a pure Boer buck and egg cells from three dams with a mix of 50 percent Boer, 25 percent Anglo Nubian, and 25 percent native goats.
DOST helped the ISU project team set up a laboratory for laparoscopic embryo transfer.
This process involves collecting embryos from a superior female donor and transferring them to a surrogate dam for the rest of the pregnancy.
“Ang atin pong programa ay from research to commercialization,” DOST Secretary Renato Solidum said.
Dr. Jonathan Nayga, Director of ISU-Cagayan Valley Small Ruminants Research Center, explained the advantages:
“Isang kambing po [ang galing sa] natural mating lang, minsan po or dalawang beses kamo na lang. Sa isang taon, dalawang kambing lang mapo-produce mo... Aside from [that], we are producing good genetics and superior breeders,” he said.
The ISU team has already completed three successful trials of embryo transfer, with all transferred embryos surviving and growing into healthy goats.
To spread the technology further, DOST plans to train regional veterinarians in laparoscopic embryo transfer, as the procedure is too complex for ordinary farmers to perform.
They aim to extend the technique to other animals, benefiting more farms.
“Malaking tulong itong embryo transfer para maparami ang produksyon… Plano na rin na ang E-T sa ibang mga hayop at di lang small ruminants,” Dr. Ricmar Aquino, President of ISU-Echague Campus, said.
With this technology, the production of superior goat breeds can be accelerated, providing smallholder farmers with better genetic materials and faster breeding cycles.
