WAGYU CROSS-DEV’T. A native cow in Piddig town gives birth to a Wagyu cross calf in this undated photo. A massive artificial insemination activity is being conducted in Piddig to support efforts to turn the town into the Wagyu capital of the north. (Contributed photo)
LAOAG CITY – The municipal government of Piddig in Ilocos Norte is giving a reward to the village that has conducted the most number of artificial inseminations for Wagyu cross-development.
Eduardo Guillen, project initiator of the Wagyu and branded beef development program in Piddig town, confirmed this on Thursday, adding that a hand tractor awaits the winning barangay.
Poised to become the Wagyu capital of the north, Piddig is spearheading a massive artificial insemination drive that involves rebreeding and impregnating additional heifers and cows in the area to provide better opportunities for farmers.
“There is no need for a huge fund to make a project successful. You only need to strategize. Kung gusto, laging may paraan. Walang imposible. Nasa Dios ang awa, nasa tao ang gawa, na kay mayor ang maniobra (If one wants it, there is always a way. Nothing is impossible. From God comes mercy but man does the work, and the mayor plans the maneuvers),” said Guillen, who was Piddig mayor when the project was launched in September last year. His wife, Georgina, is the town's incumbent mayor.
As of November 11, Dr. Leon Palitayan, a farm veterinarian, said at least 36 Wagyu cross calves have already been produced in the area since the project's launch.
To enjoin the public to support the project, the Piddig government, through its municipal agriculture office, will also sponsor a village contest to incentivize farmers who could raise the most number of Wagyu cross calves.
As of this posting, the project has received the backing of about 3,000 partner farmers. The project focuses on the production of Wagyu calf via artificial insemination using the semen requested by Piddig from the Department of Agriculture - Bureau of Animal Industry in Quezon City.
Earlier, Piddig town entered into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Adelaide River Farm for the marketing of Wagyu.
As part of the MOA, the farm company will serve as the marketing outlet for the Wagyu calves being produced aside from providing technical assistance to the farmer-cooperators through their veterinarians who will supervise the raising and management of the calves.
The Adelaide River Farm is a Manila-based meat depot that will buy the Wagyu calves produced at a price 25 percent higher than the prevailing price in the market.
A farmer-cooperator has to sell their calves eight months from the time of their birth and get the chance to have his cows artificially inseminated again.
With the implementation of the Wagyu crossbreed project in Piddig and the possible expansion to other towns in the province, Guillen expressed hope that they would be able to contribute to the government’s food security program. (PNA)
