ANSCI 2

• The Philippine beef cattle industry is traditionally led by the private sector and is largely of the small hold or backyard endeavor
• The growth of the cattle population (2.7%) was much more than that of buffaloes
• Commercial feedlot fattening operation emerged and proliferated on account of the huge demand for meat and meat products
• Current trends in the livestock industry showed that the beef cattle sector had the biggest room for growth and productivity
• Competitive advantages of beef production

  • Increasing demand for beef; income elasticity of demand for beef is higher than that of other meat
  • Ability to transform low quality and fibrous feed materials (e.g. grasses and crop residues) into high value food product
  • Abundant supply of crop residues especially in small farms
  • Favorable climate for fodder production and cattle production and meat processing technologies are available for increased productivity
• Constraints in the cattle sector

  • Low breeding base
  • High financing cost for breeder operations
  • High cost of inputs
  • Lack of infrastructures
  • Competition for use of land
  • Import substitutes particularly carabeef
  • Policy to unify and integrate the beef industry
• Interventions


  • Build-up population base through well-defined breeding program
  • Increase animal productivity through improved husbandry practices and application of biotechnologies
  • Promote appropriate feeding and encourage utilization of non-conventional feedstuffs
  • Effect strict quarantine procedures and efficient disease control/eradication programs
  • Improve marketing/pricing system
  • Review policies on importation and credit system
• Ranching or Extensive System

  • Cow-calf operation: Production of the calves and raising them to weaning age. Aim is to produce stockers and feeders
  • Purebred Program or Breeder Farm Operation: Aim to produce breeder stocks to be sold to other ranchers. Uses purebred cows and bulls and requires large capital for animal/equipment, better feeding and salesmanship
• Feedlot Fattening Operation


  To add weight and increase quality and value of animal. The last point of cattle feeding and raising. Cattle are confined to a dry lot that often holds around 70 to 80 heads of cattle at a time
• Feedlot Fattening Operation Characteristics

  • Returns depend on buying and selling prices, and WG
  • Fast turnover of capital; feeding for 120-180 days
  • Uses high-energy feeds for better finish (fat cover)
  • Requires an area of 250-300 square feet per head
  • Popular in areas with large amount of feeds
  • Integrated with pineapple and sugarcane enterprises
  • Cattle are fed a grain-fed based ration twice a day on a limit-fed basis
  • Checked for signs of illness, distress and injury
  • Livestock that are deemed ready to harvest are usually at a target weight of around 1400 pounds
  • Concerns on the use of Antibiotics/ Antimicrobials and growth hormones
• Backyard Cattle Raising or Semi-Subsistence or Small Holder


  To produce livestock, sold to augment farm income. Characteristics: 1-2 heads of fattener or breeder, Tethering, with supplemental farm waste, Soiling with ipil-ipil and rice/corn bran or copra meal at 1-2 kg/head, by force feeding (supak)
• The primary objective of feedlots is to feed cattle to grow and gain a lot of condition or body fat and muscle