THE goat industry in Davao Region is continuously growing.

In fact, goat production output has exceeded the agriculture department's target, the chief of the Regional Livestock Division of the Department of Agriculture (DA) Southern Mindanao reported.

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"There is a big demand of goat today. We have received an inquiry from Brunei asking if we are capable of supplying them 1,000 goats per month, Dubai has also been inquiring and needs 3,000 goats a month," Dr. Rafael Mercado, DA 11's Livestock Division chief, said in Tuesday's Business Forum at the Medispa at SM City Davao.

He said in 2007, DA's target increase for goat production is only one percent, but the department was able to attain a three-percent increase in production in the same year. He, however, failed to reveal the production last year.

Mercado said the Philippine market today is still absorbing/consuming the goat production of the country.

He added that Philippines has an average of four million goats in 2008, of which 372,000 were supplied by Davao Region.

"The goat requirement of the country is 15 to 20 times higher than the average production," he said.

However, he asserted that even the big demand, Philippines is not importing goats from other countries.

To be ready for the increasing demand, Mercado said the region is embarking on a program, the artificial insemination for goats.

"Today, we are setting up an artificial insemination (center) in Bago Oshiro," he said.

DA Southern Mindanao is hopeful that this year, the goat industry will help not only in terms of income generation, but also, the department is looking forward that more jobs will be generated out of goat raising. (JGRS)