Cres Ian Lorenzo
BATAC CITY, Ilocos Norte — As prolonged dry spells threaten to shrink available feed for ruminants in northern Luzon, Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) is moving to establish community-based forage sources for cattle and goat raisers.
Through its Extension Directorate and the College of Agriculture, Food and Sustainable Development (CAFSD), the university has started giving out free starter planting materials to local livestock keepers who are willing to build forage plots in their villages.
The initiative comes at a time when many smallholders still rely on weeds, dried rice straw, and whatever greens remain after harvest. During long dry months, that supply thins quickly, affecting weight gain, milk yield, and overall herd health.
The first batch of distribution went to two graduates of MMSU’s School-on-the-Air program: Iluminada Guerrero Badua of Barangay Pacifico in Marcos town, and Edz Antonio of Barangay Ab-abut in Piddig. Both were endorsed by their local governments as pioneer growers.
They each received bundles of improved grasses — including dwarf napier, pakchong, setaria, guinea, and mulato — species selected for higher biomass and better tolerance to erratic weather compared to common local roughage.
The plan, according to project lead Assistant Professor Sean Vidad of CAFSD, is not limited to giving out planting materials. The recipients are expected to develop farmer-managed demonstration plots that other raisers can visit, learn from, and eventually source cuttings from through farmer-to-farmer exchange.
The project, titled “Establishment of Improved Forage and Pasture Demonstration Plots to Support Continuing Education of Ruminant Keepers,” is positioned as an educational intervention as much as a production support measure.
Vidad said the goal is to create a more reliable feed base ahead of anticipated shortages. Improved forages, he said, produce more fresh matter per area, and have higher nutritional value than straw. Also, some varieties continue to grow even when rainfall is limited, providing a buffer during drought.
By promoting community demonstration plots, MMSU said it wants to shift from centralized distribution to localized learning. Under its Succeed Agenda and its commitment to Comprehensive Community Service, the university is banking on farmer-to-farmer extension — where trained raisers teach neighbors — to spread the technology faster than formal training alone can.
The two pilot plots in the towns of Marcos and Piddig will serve as initial learning sites. If established successfully, they are expected to become sources of planting materials for other villages, creating a decentralized network of forage gardens that can reduce dependence on increasingly scarce crop residues as dry periods become more frequent.
