Whenever I hear the word Butchoy, the first thing that comes to my mind is that of a pot-bellied boy in a Pinoy comic strip of yester-year. If you call someone Butchoy, you’re not giving him a complimentary remark, rather you’re offending him.
But not this man, they call him, yes, Butchoy.
I long heard from my co-members the name Butchoy several times before. He’s a well-known man not because of his notoriety in his town but because of his farming activities. They don’t fail to always mention his name every time we take our conversation to goats and bananas.
So when the group decided to go on a trip to Borbon for Nong Rudy’s birthday celebration last weekend (July 28, 2007), we made a side trip to Butchoy’s goat farm. After the sumptuous lunch of stewed chevon Nong Rudy’d wife had prepared for us, we set off to his farm less than a mile away on a scenic portion beside the sea.
I didn’t have any other image of him except of a pot-bellied man in his fifties. As we’re about to enter the farm, a group of men was about to leave and bid adieu to a Chinese-looking man. My image of Butchoy was now clear. And I was partly wrong. Although he’s on a heavy side but he’s not pot-bellied. And he’s still in his early 40’s, quite young to be certified as a successful farmer.
Butchoy is not an ordinary farmer. He’s a full-pledged farmer. His goat farm is truly a product of real devotion to his passion. He talks about goats like a professional car racer talks about his cars. He has more than 300 heads of hybrid ruminants in his farm, mostly Anglo-Nubian species housed in three major structures specifically built for different purposes.
The Anglo-Nubian species is mostly bred for its high-quality meat and milk products. He’s also starting to breed Boer goats chiefly for its meat due to its stout body and an excellent feeder just like the Anglo-Nubian breed.
He offered that both species are the best breeds to raise because they are not picky feeders. They feed on any available fodder given to them but Butchoy carefully choose fodders with high-nutrient contents to produce high-quality meat and milk. The goats primarily feed on organically-grown fodders which are easily available in the farm like pseudo-stems of banana plant, renzoni, and napier which he plants all over the place.
His farm is well-maintained and well-managed. Although he works as a full-time bank manager in the city, he goes home several times a week to check how his people doing. The housing structures were built of sturdy materials echoing his no nonsense devotion to his passion in farming.
Butchoy is also an advocate of organic farming. He dismisses the idea of using synthetic fertilizers for his banana orchard and commercial feeds for the ruminants. In fact, he uses the dried goat manure for his bananas and locally-grown fodders for his goats. A form of symbiosis also takes place as the pseudo-stems of banana plants are fed to the pregnant and lactating goats.
Our visit took almost an hour getting as much information as we can but he didn’t seem to mind it. He gamely answered all our queries about goat farming. He didn’t seem to mind the scorching mid-afternoon sun that almost burned our skin.
The visit was not complete without taking pictures with the amiable farmer and his ruminants. He even obliged himself to be shot with the group as a souvenir. So did the goats, as seen in one of the photos posted here.
Yes, Butchoy is a very popular figure in the farming industry. So if you happen to meet him in person someday, don’t bother to ask him why people call him by that name and still doesn’t mind it. Chances are, you’ll get a straight face. Better ask him why not grow a goatee?
Paul Bagenze said,
May 17, 2008 @ 9:16 am
could you please provide me with a list the neccessary fodder that anyone could plant as fodder for the goats thanks
Adrian said,
May 30, 2008 @ 11:24 pm
Good Day!
im planning to buy high breed goat… can i ask the contact numbers of
butchoy goat’s farm? thank you
Jorge said,
June 4, 2008 @ 4:20 am
Hi Paul,
Depending on the climactic condition of your place. For example, in tropical countries like here in the Philippines, goats have a wide array of fodders to choose from like psuedostems of banana or plantain, renzoni, napier grass which grow easily and abundantly in any soil condition. Goats actually are not picky eaters. They eat anything that’s edible but you need some good research as to which fodder provide excellent nutrients to your animals and easily grown in your type of climate.
You can email me thru jocana726@yahoo.com.
Thanks again,
Jorge
Jorge said,
June 4, 2008 @ 4:20 am
Hi Adrian,
I’m so sorry I don’t have his contact number right now. But you can contact him thru Land Bank Jones branch (corner P. del Rosario St.) where he’s loan manager. But if you like, you can try to contact this numer of my co-member who has a friend who also sells goats (Anglo-Nubian breed). My co-member’s contact number is 09185841776. He can help you buy the goat from his friend.
Good luck!
Jorge
Jezer said,
October 15, 2008 @ 11:15 am
Could you please send thru my email on some contact numbers or even location of goat farms near in my place (Lucena City, Quezon Province). Thank you.
Jorge said,
October 24, 2008 @ 2:51 am
thanks for dropping by at our site.
we’re cebu-based group and i don’t know about the goat farms somewhere in luzon. u may approach ur regional agricultural officer in ur area.
hazel said,
February 4, 2009 @ 3:34 am
I’m an Agricultural Business Management student from Mindanao State University-Main Campus. I would like to inquire if you accept students who would like to have their practicums or On-Job-Training in your farm? Thank you…
denz said,
May 26, 2009 @ 12:40 pm
hi guys,can anyone give me a quotation of the anglo nubian.im from cebu, naga. please reach me from this account gen_nuke@yahoo.com. thanx guys
Jorge said,
May 31, 2009 @ 1:47 am
hi denz,
we really dont have lists as to farmers selling goats in Cebu. Butchoy’s goat farm is in Borbon and u can visit there if u want to see for urself how the goats are raised. Just go to DAR RU 7 along M. Velez St. in Guadalupe, Cebu City and inquire about his farm. He’ll gladly give u details and direction to get there.
God bless and goodluck.
jorge
Joy Cabatingan said,
June 16, 2009 @ 6:55 am
hi jorge,
it is indeed a pleasant surprise to read this article about my husband, Butchoy Cabatingan’s, goat farm. Actually we read about it only yesterday after a friend sent us the link to this website. Thank you very much for the very nice article. My husband was so elated to read it. His real name is Raul Cabatingan, Butch to some friends and business associates, and Butchoy to family, close friends, and to the Borbon town folk. He works at the United Coconut Planters Bank, Regional Office, Jones Ave.
We are very happy to have read this article and more power to COFGA. I am getting some very pleasant feedback from my friends on Facebook who are also so into organic.
Joy Cabatingan
Jorge said,
June 19, 2009 @ 5:13 pm
Oh, it’s nice to hear that u were able to drop by our site and read some articles. Thanks a lot for your nice feedback. Thanks and best regards!