Toril, Marilog urged to spearhead chevon industry

Toril and Marilog Districts in Davao City can become big economically by taking advantage of their locations and concentrate on viable business ventures such as the chevon industry.

“Demand for chevon or goat meat is so high worldwide especially in the United States that there is a lot of possibilities in terms of export,” Councilor Rachel Zozobrado said. She said this was already confirmed by the Department of Trade and Industry as it urged Southern Mindanao to take advantage of the growing demand for chevon worldwide.

Reports show that up to 1.5 million pounds of goat meat is imported by the US from New Zealand and Australia every week. Goat meat is one of the leading red meat products and accounts for 63% of the red meat being consumed worldwide.

Zozobrado said the local government is at a dilemma about what to do with the unemployed including those who have just graduated and can’t find jobs as well as Overseas Filipino Workers who have been laid off from their jobs. This can be a good business venture considering that the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration is providing initial capitalization for OFWs who will be sent home, she said.

The chevon industry is not only a backyard industry that can provide livelihood to the barangays but it has the potential of providing employment to a lot of people including farm hands who will raise the goat, slaughterhouse staff and those in charge of marketing.

“Of all the areas in the city it is the third district which has a great potential for the chevon industry given its overall landscape,” she said. Goat meat, she said, is preferred not only for ethnic reasons but also because chevon digest more easily, is low fat and is a good alternative to fish or chicken,

DTI has already included the chevon industry under its Comprehensive Livelihood Emergency Employment Program or CLEEP which is the government’s poverty alleviation program formed to address the economic crisis.

Zozobrado said most of the barangays in the third district have been identified as poor barangays and this is their chance to rise from poverty. She said they residents can take advantage of the support being offered by the Department of Agriculture in terms of goat raising training and the DTI in marketing and business planning.