Dairy farmers from various cooperatives in Nueva Ecija gained extra knowledge and skills on proper buffalo production and management during a Farmers’ Field Day conducted by the PCC on July 25.
The activity was meant to promote interaction among the agency’s front liners, researchers and PCC-assisted dairy farmers to discuss issues about dairying and to have a clear understanding on how to improve the farmers’ productivity, Conrado P. Penuliar, a staff member of the PCC human resource management section, said.
The field day was held at the PCC Gene Pool in the Science of Muñoz with 47 farmers and 31 staff of PCC as participants. The event them was “Kaalaman sa Dairying, ating Pagyamanin (Enriching Knowledge in Dairying)”.
The farmers came from the Bagong Pag-asa Kooperatiba ng Bantug, Talavera, Makabagong Pag-asa ng MPC, Sipbupco MPC, Pulong Buli PMPC, Green Leaves Credit Cooperative, Eastern PMPC, PAO Producers Coop, Bagong Pag-asa ng Magsasaka sa Cabiao, Kapitbahayan ng Mabini, and the Mamandil Coop.
Dr. Daniel Aquino, PCC national nutrition coordinator, and Dr. Roger Cuyno, a former professor of University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), served as resource speaker and support speaker, respectively.
Aquino’s presentation cum demonstration focused on two vital aspects in dairy buffalo production: Artificial Calf Rearing (ACR) and Total Mixed Ration (TMR).
ACR involves the formulation and feeding of a milk replacer to a calf from one week of age to weaning 90 days. The calf is trained first to suck or lick the middle finger to simulate its mother’s teats until it is ready for bottle-feeding and eventually pail feeding.
TMR, on the other hand, is the blending of all the buffaloes’ feed ingredients, which are properly apportioned into a complete ration that can provide adequate nourishment to the dairy buffaloes. It consists of forages, concentrates, mineral mix, vitamins and feed additives, which can significantly improve the production performance of buffaloes.
“As long as you give the complete nutrients needed by the dairy buffaloes, they can give you more than your expected milk yield every day,” Aquino stated.
After the demonstration, an open forum followed with Mario Delizo, project development officer assigned to PCC’s National Impact Zone, as facilitator. It provided the farmer-participants an opportunity to raise their concerns and to clarify matters relative to the technologies discussed and demonstrated.
