SAN JOSE CITY COUPLE REGARDS BUFFALO DAIRYING ‘MANNA FROM HEAVEN’

At the onset, married life for Samuel and Erlinda Mercader of barangay San Agustin, San Jose City in Nueva Ecija was a bit rough.

They were both farmworkers in someone else’s farm. Samuel sidelined as a construction worker for extra income.

In 2000, Samuel was luckily selected as a recipient of a dairy buffalo from the Eastern Primary Multi-Purpose Cooperative in San Jose City. That was when the course of their lives changed.

His innate diligence, persistence, and dedication to work resulted into something positive for his dairy buffalo enterprise. From one animal, it increased to six. His wife gladly assisted him in this venture.

In 2010, Samuel was encouraged to join the cooperative that lent him a dairy buffalo. He contemplated that it would be good for him as the co-op can help him fortify his venture with increased number of dairy buffaloes.

As if good fortune was on his way, the PCC provided him five purebred dairy buffaloes under its “paiwi” contract. The animals had just then arrived from Brazil where the PCC imported them to push for the modelling of dairy development in the country.

Together, Erlinda and some of their grown up children, helped in carrying out all the activities on dairy buffalo production such as feeding the animals, cleaning the barn, milking and delivery of collected milk to their cooperative. In time, Erlinda also joined the cooperative in 2012.

Due to the unwavering commitment of the couple to buffalo dairying, their herd grew in number. They have 29 buffaloes, 10 of which are lactating while eight are confirmed pregnant. From the lactating animals, they collect an average of 37 liters a day, which they sell at Php60 per liter to their cooperative.

To share to others their good fortune, they carried out their own “paiwi” system in their village. “Buffalo dairying truly requires diligence and patience. In return, it can help uplift our quality of life. But most importantly, this would not have been possible if not for the grace of the Lord. I consider it as our manna from heaven,” Samuel declared.

In 2017, Samuel was awarded as “Outstanding Dairy Buffalo Farmer (Semi-commercial category)” by PCC during its 3rd NCC.

His income from dairy buffalo enabled him to build an improved house for his family, renovate his animals’ barn, buy motorcycle, tricycle, and a few appliances, and acquire on a lease basis a small piece of land for farming and for his animals’ feedstuff as well. For their basic necessities and a few luxury items, he finds it not too difficult to finance them anymore.

His income has increased much and made it easier for him to send his children Sharmaine, Sherwin, Sharlene and Sharina to school. In fact, his eldest already finished her Bachelor of Science in Computer Science degree while their second child is currently taking up BS in Hotel and Restaurant Management.

When asked to comment on their good life, Samuel and Erlinda were profuse in giving accolades for the “manna from heaven” that came their way, which is buffalo dairying. As they work together, with their children lending some assistance, they are certain that they wouldn’t experience the difficulties in life that they experienced before.