As part of its strategy to increase local milk production, the Department of Agriculture- Philippine Carabao Center at Ubay Stock Farm (DA-PCC at USF), completed the distribution of additional 60 dairy buffaloes to Boholano recipients last August 1.
The Php3 million-worth project is under the Dairy Buffalo Dispersal Program through the cooperative conduit scheme of DA-PCC.
As stipulated in the memorandum of agreement (MOA), DA-PCC at USF will entrust dairy animals to Bohol Dairy Cooperative (BODACO) as the conduit co-op.
“Aside from BODACO, we have also partnered with our existing assisted cooperatives in Cebu such as the Lamac Multipurpose Cooperative (LMPC), Compostela Market Vendors Cooperative (COMAVEMCO) and the First Consolidated Cooperative along Tañon Road (FCCT) for this particular program,” Guillerma Abay-abay, Carabao-based Enterprise Development (CBED) program coordinator of DA-PCC at USF, said.
To date, the center awarded a total of 169 head of dairy buffaloes since it started in September 2019; 94 were channeled through BODACO, 43 for LMPC, 15 for COMAVEMCO and 17 for FCCT.
“This system aims to help the cooperative build up its assets initially with dairy animals as business stimuli. Upon signing of the agreement, the ownership of the buffaloes is transferred by the PCC to the co-op,” Abay-abay said.
“Si co-op magbayad ni PCC og usa ka baye nga nati, while the farmer magbayad sa coop og duha ka nati. (The co-op will pay one female calf to PCC, while the farmer will pay two calves to the conduit cooperative),” Abay-abay explained.
To sustain the implementation of the program in the community, the co-op has to ensure compliance to the agreed repayment for each dispersed female buffalo. The age of the replacement animal should be 18 months old and shall be reloaned by the cooperative to another qualified farmer-trustee who is an active member of the co-op with good standing.
The succeeding calves of the entrusted buffalo, whether male or female, shall be shared between the cooperative and the farmer-trustee on their agreed scheme.
In one of the meetings, Dr. Gundolino P. Bajenting, officer-in-charge of DA-PCC at USF mentioned that herd build up is one of the strategies to produce more milk in response to the national tall order to increase production from one to 10 percent.
Abay-abay additionally said the increase in the number of dairy buffaloes per household conversely provides a more satisfying income for a typical family.
To date, the center recorded a total of 3,928.85 li of milk produced out of the animals dispersed since last year under the conduit scheme. This volume comprises 5.33% of the total milk production by the center for the year. This translates to an additional income of Php192,442.50 at Php50.00 per liter of milk.
Dr. Bajenting said 40 head of dairy buffaloes are due for dispersal to farmers once the necessary government procurement documents are completed.
