Performance evaluation and genetic improvement of ruminant animals in the Philippines

• Department of Agriculture, Philippines
• Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit, Australia

Agriculture is a major contributor to the Philippine economy, employing about 48 per cent of the workforce. The livestock industry accounts for more than a quarter of the agricultural sector, and there is a growing demand for livestock products to keep pace with the annual 2.3 per cent increase in the human population. Currently, the livestock industry relies heavily on pigs and poultry, with a rather poorly developed ruminant sector based mainly on smallholder farmers. Although the numbers of cattle (including buffalo) and goats have increased, productivity is low. For example, Philippine buffalo produce about 1.5 litres of milk per day compared with 8 litres for the imported Murrah buffaloes (and about 4.5 litres for the Murrah-Philippine Carabao crossbreed).

The main reason for this is indiscriminate crossbreeding by smallholder farmers, resulting in mongrel animals without the desired characteristics of a good herd. As village herds are small, it is not possible to achieve genetic improvement by breeding within them. The only way is a planned dissemination to village level of superior genes brought in to government herds, nucleus farms and multiplier herds. The Philippines Department of Agriculture is keen to improve the genetic quality of ruminants so that smallholder farmers can make greater profits. This project, run in collaboration with the Department, is helping ruminant industries to achieve substantial gains in productivity and income. The project is building capacity amongst the livestock scientists and administrators of the Philippines of modern genetic principles that will underpin the development of a national livestock genetic improvement program.

The work will start by determining the traits that are most important to the improvement of each species (cattle, buffalo, sheep and goats). Computer software will be customised for storage of this data in an appropriate multi-species database. The existing Australian BREEDPLAN genetic evaluation software package for ruminants will also be customised for this work, and mini-computers will be installed in appropriate offices in the Philippines.

The team will then formulate a comprehensive training program for those scientific and technical staff responsible for livestock improvement. Philippine livestock records will be analysed to estimate genetic parameters and their effects for the various ruminant species under Philippine conditions. Then the adapted BREEDPLAN software will be tested on local data to produce genetic and environmental trends for each species.

Using information gained from all these activities, the team will then design a breeding program for the Philippines to maximise the genetic progress of all the livestock species. This will be followed by further research on new traits, to refine the breeding program as it develops.

The broad aim of the project was to provide the Philippines with the capability to systematically increase the productivity of its ruminant animals through genetic improvement. In order to develop better breeding programs, a system of data recording and performance evaluation for ruminant animals (beef cattle, sheep, goats and dairy buffalo) has been established that will operate as part of the National Genetic Resource Improvement Program (NGRIP) for livestock.
An effective system has been designed and implemented that allows for the collection of breeding and production data for various breeds and species of ruminant livestock run on government research and breeding stations and in collaborating herds. Procedures have been set up for sending these data manually or electronically into a multi-species database.

Filipino scientists and technicians have been trained in all the relevant techniques for implementing an advanced genetic improvement program for the various ruminant breeds and species. A number of project scientists have also undertaken post-graduate animal science training in overseas universities during the project. This is consistent with ensuring that the Philippines develop the capacity to run its own genetic improvement programs.

A prototype model of the software for data collection and storage was first put in place on the computer systems at ABRI in Australia and data collected in the Philippines were fed into this database for testing. The Alpha computers were later installed at the Bureau of Animal Industry and the Philippine Carabao Centre. The beef and small ruminant databases held at ABRI were transferred to the BAI and the carabao and dairy buffalo database held at ABRI was transferred to the PCC. Software developments to better handle species-specific requirements continued throughout the Project.

The standard BREEDPLAN system is currently in place at BAI enabling the analysis of performance data for the beef cattle. A customised version of BREEDPLAN has been installed for small ruminants (sheep and goats). A dairy-specific genetic evaluation system has been installed and tested at PCC.

The Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit at the University of New England undertook research on the breeding and production records in the central databases to estimate genetic parameters and fixed effects for the various ruminant species. Parameters for Philippine Beef were prepared by AGBU and utilised in GROUP (across-herd) and Interim GROUP BREEDPLAN analyses. The first Philippine Beef GROUP BREEDPLAN analysis was run in August 2004 and analyses have been run regularly since that time.

Similarly, AGBU supplied parameter files for the sheep and goat evaluations and these are now used in Within Flock BREEDPLAN analyses at BAI. AGBU also supplied genetic parameters for the analysis of the dairy buffalo data. This analysis is now being run at the PCC.

Training programs were undertaken to develop skills in the capturing of breeding and performance records to form databases for use in genetic evaluations, on the use of the software relating to these databases and on the extension of the results from the evaluations of the data. Early in the project scientists and field staff were trained in the electronic capture of on-farm records. Courses were provided in the use of farm-level PC programsHerd Magic for beef and small ruminants, and DairyStor for dairy. Scientists were also trained in operation of the Alpha computers and in the software used in the integrated pedigree/performance database.

For the beef and the small ruminant programs, Workshops were provided that covered areas such as the interpretation and use of Estimated Breeding Values, effective performance recording, breeding objectives and operational procedures relating to Philippines BREEDPLAN. Reports and results from the respective BREEDPLAN analyses were also presented and discussed. These workshops were attended by staff from government organisations (including breeding stations) and private breeders and animal raisers.

The BAI has provided a number of training courses for sheep and goat raisers, scientists and technical staff. The training explained the basic considerations and procedures in the collection and recording of pedigree and performance data for small ruminants. The concepts were explained through hands-on training sessions. The PCC, with assistance from ABRI staff, also prepared and presented a workshop covering data collection and interpretation of EBVs for carabao and dairy buffalo raisers.

Considerable assistance has been provided on the design of breeding programs for the relevant species. The PCC has had a very tightly defined breeding program for the carabao but the beef and small ruminants have been less well defined. Preliminary discussions were held on these matters at the beginning of the project so that a good understanding could be developed of industry structure and economically important traits. These issues were regularly discussed, formally and informally, during the project's life. Presentations and discussions on breeding program design and, in particular, on the determination of breeding objectives were provided at all training workshops following the release of EBVs.

The project has made significant progress in combining breeding data from government and private breeding farms in a way that will add significantly to the power of the genetic evaluation. This is particularly evident in the Mindanao and Visayas region where a small group of participants who attended a workshop run by ABRI staff have now organised themselves into a formal system of regular meetings and farm visits. The project also has made significant progress in persuading private breeding farms to participate, particularly in the small ruminant program.