Guimaras smallholder farms dominate livestock production

The Guimaras region has been reported to predominantly rely on smallholder farms for livestock production, with these farms contributing a staggering 99.58% (30,302 heads) to the region’s livestock population.

The figure was revealed in the livestock inventory as of January 1, 2024, by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

In stark contrast, semi-commercial farms contributed only 0.42% (127 heads), with no livestock numbers coming from commercial farms.

In the breakdown of livestock types, goats have been the primary animal raised on smallholder farms, representing 41.16% of the inventory across five comparative survey periods from January 1, 2020, to January 1, 2024.

The livestock survey further shows that cattle and carabao constitute 32.65% and 26.19% of the total livestock with 56,647 and 45,436 heads respectively, according to Provincial Statistics Officer Nelida B. Losare.

There have been significant fluctuations in the growth rates of these livestock categories over the years.

Goats experienced the highest growth rate on January 1, 2022, at 5.8%, whereas cattle and carabao saw their lowest growth rates in the same year, with drops of -28.3% and -26.5% respectively.

Cattle numbers showed some recovery in 2021 with a 1.6% increase, but the overall trend has been one of decline through to 2024.

Despite these trends, the January 1, 2024, inventory marked the first instance of livestock recorded on semi-commercial farms, albeit solely cattle at a minute percentage.

The data reflects the vital role smallholder farms play in the region’s agricultural landscape and the reliance of Guimaras’ livestock production on these farms.