The bewitching appeal of Siquijor’s healthy beef

MANILA, Philippines — Siquijor, a tiny island province known for its mysterious and bewitching tourist attractions, is yet to be famed for another of its best and finest product — Siquijor beef.

Nestled between the Visayas and Mindanao , Siquijor ranks second among the highest cattle producing provinces in the country, next to Ilocos Norte.

The native cattle strain in Siquijor is the taurine type (Bos taurus) known to have genes for marbling, making it competitive with the rest of the best beef cattle in the world.

Marbling is the white flecks and streaks of fat within the lean sections of meat. The degree of marbling is the primary determinant of quality grade in beef.

It has a beneficial effect on the juiciness and flavor of beef as it keeps the beef moist and succulent.

Bos taurus is a grass-fed type of cattle. Hence, the meat is lean and tender and has moderately full flavor. This native cattle strain is suitable for Siquijor’s weather condition because it can tolerate the heat and it needs little water requirement. It can also easily adapt to the environment. This is also the reason why this breed is preferred by the majority of the farmers in Siquijor. This native breed is also known to produce quality milk.

And because Bos taurus is a grass-fed cattle, Siquijor’s locally-produced beef is considered a healthy beef. With the promising potential of the native strain, it is important to enrich the cattle production and meat processing industry to help the breeders raise their income, and provide an opportunity for Siquijor to export its quality meat globally.

In Siquijor, the cattle industry is hounded by two problems: production and marketing.

A major constraint in production is affected by the dry season in Siquijor resulting in limited water supply, limited food supply, and excessive heat that can affect cattle raising.

The natural climatic condition and sloping topography of Siquijor greatly affect the feeding practice of farmers, especially during the dry season. In terms of marketing, one major challenge is the unfair pricing of traders due to lack of price standard.

The University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) embarked on a project that aims to commercialize the production of Siquijor beef as a healthy meat.

 The program is aimed at developing native beef grading standard, native beef cuts, and beef products and by-products.

Results of the socio-demographic analysis conducted by UPLB showed that an average cattle farmer in Siquijor has three cattles per farm being raised in a land he owns through inheritance.

The rate of technology adoption of cattle raisers in Siquijor is high due to the various support provided by the provincial government.

In the profitability analysis of the project, results showed that the investment cost for setting up a cattle enterprise will cost P 22, 555. 51. This comprised cattle house, feeding, breeding stock (two young cattle one male and one female), and  farm tools (drum, containers, pail, and scythe). The total investment cost, however, will increase to P101,793.65 if the cost of land is included.

The three-cattle operation in Siquijor is considered successful in increasing the income of the farmer. In terms of net income, results showed that a farmer could earn at least P1,000 increase monthly when he chooses to engage in the cow-calf operation in Siquijor.

A general assessment of the results showed that good cultural management practices employed by the raisers could not be translated into profit until problems in marketing are resolved. This was attributed to the lack of price standard in Siquijor.

 One of the beneficiaries of the project was the Catulayan Community Multi-Purpose Cooperative wherein members were taught how to process and add value to their beef products.

In 2017, 33 members of the cooperative underwent training in Siquijor.  They were taught how to process beef tapa, corned beef, burger patties, and beef floss.

Meat processing was introduced to the members to increase their income and to promote the quality of native Siquijor beef. They were also taught how to look at fresh meat including the physical and chemical properties of meat to ensure its quality, tenderness of the meat during processing and storage, and even the correct meat cut.

Another aspect of the training was teaching them about meat spoilage and proper handling to maintain food safety and avoid food poisoning.

Aside from meat processing, 11 members of the cooperative also underwent slaughter and beef fabrication training. They were exposed to existing beef grading standards and beef cuts.