Participants in the AANI Farm Tour on Sunday, June 26, 2016 will visit the National Swine and Poultry Research and Development Center (NSPRDC) in Brgy. Lagalag, Tiaong, Quezon. This is an agency of the Department of Agriculture headed by Dr. Rene C. Santiago.

The center is where indigenous livestock and poultry are being researched with the aim of developing improved breeds or strains of farm animals, particularly native pigs, native chickens, ducks and some other livestock.

Dr. Santiago is very proud of the three new pure lines derived from the native duck (mallard or itik) which are outstanding in a number of ways. The three lines which are true to type are the black, the brown and the white. The ducks that are produced from each of the three have more or less uniform appearance (feather color), size and desirable traits. And the best thing is that they produce more eggs than the old Pateros duck. Usually, 72 out of 100 layers of the new ducks will lay eggs in one day compared to only 50 to 55 of the old strain.

NATIVE CHICKENS – The tour participants will also be able to observe the different strains of native chickens like the Paraoakan from Palawan, the Banaba from Batangas, Bolinao from Pangasinan, Camarines from Bicol, Darag from Panay and Jolo from the south.

One objective of the research center is to produce strains or breeds of chicken out of the native strains that will possess the desirable traits for commercial production. Dr. Santiago would like to see growers who would be able to supply the end-users like restaurants, hotels and the market in general with chickens that are uniform in size and tenderness, not a mixture of young birds and old culls.

Those interested to join the farm tour should contact Jocelyn Mahipus at 0917-795-0916 or land line (02) 475-0134.