Goat milking to go on show

Caption: Dr Workneh Ayalew of NARI demonstrating the goat milking technology during a farmers’ field day in the highlands recently

By SENIORL ANZU

Goat milking will be a major attraction at Bubia next Tuesday when National Agriculture Research Institute stages the 2009 Agricultural Innovations Show.
 Farmers and visitors at this annual event will see live demonstrations performed by scientists on extracting fresh milk from goats.
Research programme leader of the NARI livestock programme Dr Workneh Ayalew said his staff at Labu near Lae were preparing to show farmers the goat milking technologies.
“A highlight of our displays will be the use and promotion of goats for milk production and this will be demonstrated during the annual event,” he said.
“Goats are good milk producers, which farmers should look after to obtain fresh milk. But for them to give good milk, they need to be managed and trained properly.” 
Other displays and demonstrations on livestock will be on the use of local feeds such as sweet potato and cassava for making broiler rations; the sweet potato silage feeding system for pigs; and the use of small livestock chicken, ducks, goats, sheep, rabbits, inland fisheries) to diversify sources of quality food and sources of income.
Dr Ayalew added that the livestock programme would also sell small animals at the show including breeding stock of ducks, rabbits, sheep and goats and poultry such as broiler chicken and ducks.
Apart from feeding their kids, goats can produce good milk for human consumption. These ruminants need proper care and training in order to give good fresh milk.
Regular milking exercise is also necessary, and milking can be done once or twice a day. After training for a week or two, they will continue to produce up to half a litre.
Goats also need to be fed well; not only with green feed but some concentrates, and they need to be kept in good condition.
The agricultural innovations show will be staged for the third consecutive year.
It is an ‘information exchange and knowledge sharing’ event in which partner and collaborating organisations in agricultural and rural development will be invited to display and exhibit their innovations and improved technologies and interact with farmers and the general public.
 The theme of this year is ‘Adapting PNG Agriculture to Climate Change’.