PANAMA NEWS:

 

 

Goat and Sheep, among Panamanian likes

 

The arrival of foreigners to Panama beginning of 2000 in search for a second residence no only promoted the construction industry, but the production of goats and sheep.

 

About a decade ago, the consumption of dairy products based on goat´s milk (yogurt, milk and cheese) and sheep´s meat gain strength and it has had another boost over the last couple of years. The consumption is no longer almost exclusive for foreigners, and now a large portion of the buyers are locals.

 

The producers of this sector are happy with this recent boom, according to Hugo Castillero, engineer in animal production, whom eight years ago observed in the raising of goats as a promising future.

 

In an almost 5 acre area, his farm is located in El Espinal, district of Guarare, Los Santos; Castillero started raising two goats and now he has 50 female goats and yogurt plant.

“The appealing prices of the market, the growing demand of the product and the need of a small land for this activity makes it a profitable business”, stated Castillero.

While you can raise about 30 goats, the capacity for cattle farming is lower, explained the farmer.
 

However, the milk production of the 50 goats Castillero is not enough to supply the orders received from the local market, reason why he has requested other farmers from Azuero to sell him their portion of the production.

 

Castillero´s yogurt plant processes about 300 liters of milk on a weekly basis, yielding 1,200 single 8 oz. cups.

 

Consumers can get the yogurt for $1.25 in the market, while the liter of goat milk is set from $3.50 approximately.

 

Genetic Improvement

 

The lack availability of breeding stocks for sale is keeping the production of goats and sheep from growing in the country.

 

To compensate this inconvenience and promote the activity, the farmers and farming authorities are working the genetic improvement of the breeds.

 

Richard Bennett, president of the Sheep and Goat Farmers Association of West Panama (APOCAPO for its Spanish acronym), expressed that this market is potentially based on the genetic improvement.

 

“There are not full blooded breeds in the country, which is why its required to import new breeding stocks to improve the genetics and help the farmers”, said the president of APOCAPO.
 

To raise goats, Saane, Alpina and Toggenburg are the breeds used in the country, while the sheep raise the most popular are Dorper, Katahdin, Black Belly and Peli Buey.

 

These animals are imported from Mexico, USA and Canada.

60 goats and 80 sheep were imported from Mexico in 2008, male and female, through an investment of approximately $280,000 to improve the breeds of the country, reported Carlos Saldaña, researcher for the Agricultural Research Institute of Panama (Idiap for its Spanish acronym).

 

The National Institute of Agriculture (INA Spanish acronym) has opened up the center for goat reproduction, where they are working with Saane, Alpina and Toggenburg, the most common breeds in the country.

 

The taste for products coming from goat milk and sheep meat among consumers makes the activity very attractive. Some farmers have stopped the porcine raise to carry on the goat raise.

 

 

Source: www.prensa.com