Abstract
The study was conducted to characterize the existing Halal goat production system in the province of Maguindanao and compare the farmers’ management practices with the existing Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) standards and Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) protocols in Halal goat raising. The study reveals that the respondents’ practices in goat raising at Parang, Maguindanao are not significantly different from the Japan International Cooperation Agency - Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (JICA-ARMM) goat production and management standards as well as PCAARRD Halal goat production protocol except for the location of the goat house. The study proved that farmers’ practice in goat raising has similarities with JICA and PCAARRD protocols except for some aspect such as location of the house, use of commercial and synthetic drugs in vaccination and disease treatments and feeds and feeding. The JICA protocol on housing location is different from the actual practice of farmer respondents and PCAARRD protocol. Farmers are not knowledgeable in the feeding value of combine grass-legume to the goat. Under intensive feeding management, legume-grass combination is a better option in profitable goat raising. In terms of housing, farmers do not practice standard designs such as elevated flooring, floor space requirements and required distances between flooring and ceiling and between the ground and flooring as what PCAARRD and JICA protocol recommended.