Black native chicken to boost poultry farming in Caraga
By Renelle Escuadro
The Department of Agriculture (DA) Caraga, through the Trento Research and Experiment Station, in partnership with the Caraga State University (CSU) in Butuan City, is promoting the production and propagation of the so-called ‘patani,’ as the region’s very own black native chicken breed.
Patani is the only breed of native chicken in the country that
possesses a high level of black pigmentation on its skin, shaft, plumage, and
bone. It also has grayish meat.
In July 2019, a breakthrough in poultry farming took place when a
research team from the CSU led by Dr. Tomas Austral Jr. managed to
produce the black native chicken through breeding and selection from four
breeds of Philippine native chickens, such as Darag, Camarines, Boholano, and
Zampen.
The experiment was undertaken under the Organic Native Chicken Project,
funded by the Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Council for
Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (DOST-
PCAARRD.)
However, it sought assistance from DA - Trento Research and Experiment
Station to guarantee that Patani would not suffer extinction, as the team was
only able to initially establish 124 pure and quality breeder stocks of the
black native chicken on the said campus.
“This will place the Caraga region in the limelight as a strong and
stable producer of the finest black native chicken in the country, “ said Dr.
Austral.
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| The Caraga's black native chicken, called Patani, is the brainchild of a team of researchers and scientists from the Caraga State University in Butuan City. DA-Trento Research and Experiment Station in Trento, Agusan del Sur, provided assistance to the university to preserve the purification of Patani. Photo courtesy of DA-Trento Research and Experiment Station. |
Dr. Ecolastico Cagatin, station chief of DA - Trento Research and
Experiment Station, shared that they are breeding a true-to-type population of
black native chicken that is resilient to climate change conditions, especially
in the region, and can perform well in growth, taste preference, and
disease tolerance.
Eugene Deluta, a poultry raiser, agreed that the Patani has a well-built
immune system against diseases, stating, “This breed of chicken is strong as it
is the only survivor among the native chickens during the bird flu attack on
our farm.”
On the other hand, native chickens and even the Ayam Cemani breed of
Indonesia lay about 40-60 eggs annually. For Patani, it can produce an average
of 80 – 110 eggs in a year, including better performance on egg weight,
hatchability, and fertility.
Superior and
healthiest meat
According to Austral, Patani has a better market value because of its
meat quality, saying, “Its higher pigmentation characteristic is a
manifestation of its high antioxidant level.”
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| The Caraga State University through its nuclear farm has started selling the Caraga black native chicken, both live and dressed, to the public. Photo courtesy of Native Chicken Caraga. |
“Scientific studies showed the following benefits of a native black
chicken: source of antioxidants; protection of eyesight; good source of
protein; low cholesterol; source of vitamins B, E, iron, phosphorous, calcium,
amino acids; energy booster; promotes a healthy heart; promotes fertility; helps
prevent headaches; and treats asthma,” Austral underscored.
As reported by DOST- PCAARRD, there is a significant demand for native
chicken in the country as it has established a niche market with 80.7 million
inventory in 2020, which accounted for 45 percent of the country’s total
chicken inventory. Western Visayas is the top producer with 12.4 million native
chickens, followed by Northern Mindanao with 9.7 million native chickens.
“The end goal of this project is commercialization by increasing the production of Patani to help the Caraga region improve its distribution of native chickens to other parts of the country. We are strongly working with multiplier and commercial farms to promote Patani and make it available in the market, either live or dressed, at an affordable price, as this will significantly benefit our local farmers and poultry players,” Austral added. (RLE/PIA-Caraga)
