ECHAGUE, Isabela — Through embryo transfer technology, the country can harness the economic and nutritional benefits of a robust goat industry.

This was the message of Science and Technology Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. when he spoke before the media and stakeholders at the Isabela State University (ISU) on September 26 here.

Solidum said the goat industry is a good business opportunity for local entrepreneurs because it requires little maintenance and low investment costs.

"Through embryo transfer, our local goat industry has the opportunity to improve the health and productive performance of local animals," he said.

Solidum and ISU officials led the launching of the goat embryo transfer and artificial insemination facilities wherein the new herd of baby goats, born through embryo transfer (ET) technology, or produced from the semen of a pure Boer buck and the egg cells of three dams with bloodlines of 50 percent Boer, 25 percent Anglo Nubian and 25 percent native goats were presented.

Through the guidance of Miguel Mervin Pajate, the Department of Science and Technology Balik Scientist, the ISU Project Team was guided in setting up a laboratory for laparoscopic embryo transfer. The surrogates' successful pregnancies were monitored by a team.

Embryo transfer is a procedure in which embryos are collected from a superior female donor and transferred to a recipient or surrogate dam for the remainder of the pregnancy. Its main advantage is the increase in the number of offspring, generated from each female.

Earlier, the group handling the ISU project had completed three tests. The first was made in February 2023, and the kid was recorded in June 2023; the second was made in October 2023, and the offsprings were born in February 2024; and the last one was in November 2023, and the offsprings were born in March 2024. At least 100 percent of the transferred embryos from the donor survived, and the kids had matured.

Embryo transfer using fresh embryos is also being tried now, but they are not yet skilled in preserving the extracted embryos.

This will be the focus of the proposed secondary engagement of the Balik Scientist with the training of other veterinarians in the region in the on-farm application of ET. Since ET is not something that ordinary farmers can do, it is said that veterinarians should be trained in laparoscopy and surgery, Cagayan Valley Small Ruminants Center Director Jonathan Nayga said.

"Trials are also ongoing to measure the actual success rate over time as well as determine the cost or financial viability of the technology. After that, targeted capacity building of more veterinarians in the region will be done to spread the technology," he added.

With this initiative, it is hoped that embryo transfer technology for goats can be used to help propagate good genetic materials faster and produce more offspring, especially in small-hold farms, he said.

Ricmar Aquino, ISU president, said they are also aiming to produce artificial insemination for other animals in the future.

Since 2009, the center has started developing artificial insemination (AI) protocols for small ruminants. With AI, the superiority of the male breeder is maximized, allowing for faster upgrading of stocks.

In 2017, with the completion of the laboratory and other support facilities, the university proposed to explore the possibility of the application of embryo transfer technology. In just 18 days, a kid was born from ISU-Cagayan Valley Small Ruminants Research Center's Embryo Transfer Technology, which was almost identical to an ordinary farm goat.