In support of the Department of Agriculture’s vision of a food-secure country with prosperous farmers and fisherfolks, the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) will hold its 5th National Carabao Conference (NCC) with the theme “Masaganang Ani at Mataas na Kita sa Pagkakalabawan” on November 14-15 at the Central Mindanao University (CMU) Convention Center in Maramag, Bukidnon.
The annual conference aims to gather participants, trustees, and all those who are benefitting from the dairy carabao-based industry. It serves as a venue for meaningful interaction among the participants and a source of significant information, ideas, and good practices for sharing and disseminating, which is expected to inspire more to participate in the Carabao Development Program (CDP).
This year’s confab, to be hosted by the PCC@CMU, will feature plenary sessions pertaining to the “new thinking” in dairy management and carabao industry in general, aimed at contributing towards more abundant harvest and higher income among farmers.
“We will be able to witness and experience a trailblazing event, which will comprise new vision, system, practice, policy, and technology as answers to the pressing issues and demands of people for food security,” Rowena Bumanlag, Information Officer III and Head of the Applied Communication Section of the PCC headquarters and 5th NCC overall chairperson, said.
With the advent of climate change, Bumanlag further mentioned the need to shift thinking in producing food and its pertinent practices to continuously augment production and improve its quality while cost of production is lowered and process is streamlined.
Despite these notable changes, she assured PCC’s adherence to its mission of serving smallhold Filipino farmers, which is geared toward establishing viable enterprises in rural villages for increased incomes and sources of empowerment not only of farmers and their families, but also of their communities.
The participants of this learning event will be provided with insights on PCC’s unrelenting efforts and initiatives to promote the carabao industry; PCC’s partnerships with the local government units in CDP implementation; and government-funded activities through the following topics: Convergence for the Milk Feeding Program, Technology and Innovation Forum, Scaling up the Carabao-based Enterprise Value Chain, and Strengthening the Provincial Livestock Extension System.
The speakers, reactors, and moderators for the plenary sessions will be coming from the government institutions and private sectors to encourage collective engagement and participation of all partners in the CDP, which is considered as PCC’s flagship program.
Aside from the plenary sessions, the 5th NCC will also feature Knowledge Exhibition, technology demonstration, launching of PCC@CMU’s Semen Processing Laboratory and ‘Bukidnon Dairy’ Processing and Marketing Outlet, awarding of dairy buffaloes to conduit cooperatives, Knowledge Café, and milk toast with grade schoolchildren and PCC mascots Kalaboy and Kalagirl.
Senator Cynthia Villar, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food, and Department of Agriculture Acting Secretary Dr. William Dar are expected to be present in the event as guests of honor.
Some 400 carabao keepers, dairy farmers, partners, entrepreneurs, local government officials and representatives from various government agencies and private organizations are anticipated to participate in the two-day event.
