The Socio-economic and Environmental Research Section of the DA-Philippine Carabao Center recently conducted a two-day training on “Advanced Milk Handling, Testing, and Processing” for Aklan’s dairy community on July 30-31, 2024. The training aimed to enhance the skills and knowledge of participants in milk processing practices.
Attendees included staff from the Provincial Local Government Unit of Aklan and select members of the Nalook Farmers Association and Ginintuang Masaganang Tanim Farmers Consumers Cooperative, key partners in the Coconut-Carabao Development Project (CCDP).
Dr. Eric P. Palacpac, RDD OIC chief, underscored the significance of product development.
“We should think about how to develop products using carabao’s milk and coconut milk to really emphasize the connection between the coconut and the carabao commodities,” he said.
The hands-on training covered milk handling, testing, and processing of kesong puti and choco milk, along with the processing of carabao’s meat products such as tapa and longganisa. Participants also engaged in a lakbay-aral, where they visited progressive carabao farmers and cooperatives in San Jose City, Nueva Ecija.
This initiative aims to boost carabao’s milk production and enhance the market competitiveness of carabao-based products in Aklan.
