Author: Adeline P. Gomez

Fifty-five dairy farmers have equipped themselves with the essentials of starting a business enterprise capitalizing on the abundance of their main produce – carabao milk.

The participants are members of different dairy cooperatives in Nueva Ecija, which is the National Impact Zone (NIZ) of the Carabao Development Program of the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC).

The four-day training was held at the PCC National Headquarters and Gene Pool in the Science City of Muñoz on December 19-22, 2013. It was conducted in partnership with the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), which funded the project through the Nueva Ecija Dairy Convergence System.

Spearheaded by PCC’s Dairy Herd Improvement and Enterprise Development (DHI/ED) unit, the training is part of a strengthening program to enhance the capabilities of carabao-based dairy cooperatives.

It also aims to complement other trainings undergone by the dairy farmers regarding carabao raising.

Aside from production-related matters, dairy farmers need to acquire knowledge and skills necessary for the business aspect of dairy production. These are necessary to help ensure the sustainability of the operation of dairy cooperatives.

“Sinusubukan nating tugunan lahat ng aspetong kailangan sa operasyon ng isang organisasyon para umunlad itong ating mga dairy cooperatives (We try to cater to the needs in all aspects of operation of an organization to help our dairy cooperatives progress),” Wilma del Rosario, Agriculturist II of PCC, said.

“Useful siya lalo na sa mga buffalo handlers. Meron na akong background on how I will manage, just in case mapadami o mapalago ko iyong mga alaga ko, at imamarket ang mga products at by-products (It is useful especially for buffalo handlers. I now have a background on how to manage, just in case I’ll be able to expand my operation, and how to market the products and other by-products [of buffalo production]),” Nieves Moralla Capan from Nag-iisang Masikap sa General Natividad, said.

At the end of the training, the participants were urged to apply what they have learned in formulating a business plan covering 5 to 10 years.

Dr. Fe L. Porciuncula, director of the Ramon Magsaysay Center for Agricultural Resources and Environmental Studies (RM CARES), and Dr. Pablo J. Rafael, Jr., chair of the Agribusiness department of the College of Agriculture of the Central Luzon State University (CLSU), served as resource persons during the three-day training.

How can we include the agricultural sector in the country’s fast-growing economy?

This was the challenge posed by Dr. Libertado C. Cruz, executive director of the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC), in his keynote speech before scientists and researchers who participated in the 24th Regional Symposium on R&D Highlights of the Central Luzon Agricultural Resources Research and Development Consortium (CLARRDEC) held December 5 at the PCC National Headquarters and Gene Pool.

Drawing from the event’s theme, “Facing the Challenges of Inclusive Growth through Research for Development,” the PCC head underscored the importance of cascading the benefits of the positive growth in the economy to as many people as possible, particularly to the rural poor. 

To do this, he said, it is important to increase the income of the rural poor and this is where the role of research lies.

He said scientists have been devoting researches on how to improve productivity at the production level. 

However, most of the benefits from this exercise are derived at the post-production level when goods are given additional value after processing. It is therefore time to focus studies on how to add more value to products while trying to produce more, Cruz pointed out.

He also emphasized on research for development as opposed to research and development. The former, he said, places research, in essence, as a tool for achieving the desired development, hence giving more prominence to development. The latter places the two as separate entities on equal ground. 

Cruz challenged the scientists and researchers to understand the science of small-hold people as they are the beneficiaries of development and the subject of inclusive growth.

“As scientists, we have an obligation to spend our meaningful life on earth to contribute to science not only for ourselves but also to society,” he stated.

The symposium brought together a big number of representatives from 29 member-agencies and other government institutions that conduct and promote research and development in agriculture, forestry and natural resources in Central Luzon. 

A total of 19 papers under various research and development categories were presented.

Scientists, breeders and geneticists have initiated a move to organize a technical working group as a major step in accelerating efforts aimed at facilitating the exchange of best buffalo genetics worldwide.

This development is an offshoot of an international genetic improvement conference and workshop focusing on dairy buffaloes held November 28-29 at the Marriot Hotel in Pasay City, Metro Manila.

The two-day gathering was hosted by the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC), an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture that is mandated to improve the genetic potentials of the native buffalo as source of milk and meat.

The group envisions the establishment of an international semen exchange program that will facilitate easier identification and exchange of the best buffalo genetics among cooperating countries.

According to PCC executive director Dr. Libertado C. Cruz, the program will be patterned with that of Interbull, a worldwide committee which makes accurate genetic evaluations among cattle, both within and across countries.

“There are two mechanisms used in [the evaluation of] dairy cattle. The first is the system of gathering accurate information on the animal and establishing a neutral body that will capture all the data from different countries and analyze the genetic potential of each of the animal under each given environment and [the second is] an opportunity of germplasm exchange,” he explained.

He stressed that in order to establish the semen exchange program, participating countries need to agree to be a part of the International Committee for Animal Recording (ICAR), a “worldwide organization for the standardization of animal recording and productivity evaluation” under which the Interbull is a sub-committee.

From this, the group will be able to collect accurate data to be sent to ICAR for evaluation,  he added.

The collaboration is part of PCC’s genetic improvement efforts among dairy buffaloes. Through the program, it will be easier to identify the animals with best genetic characteristics among millions of buffaloes which will be used to breed more best-performing buffaloes.

The program will ultimately benefit the rural farmers in terms of improved livelihood and income.

Aside from the Philippines, the other countries represented in the conference were India, Pakistan, Brazil, Italy, China and Australia. An ICAR representative, who served as a consultant, also attended the gathering.

Two more regional centers of the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) have successfully passed the certification audit conducted under the International Standard on Quality Management System (ISO 9001:2008).

“PCC at Cagayan State University (PCC at CSU) in Piat, Cagayan and PCC at University of Southern Mindanao (PCC at USM) in Kabacan, North Cotabato are now ISO 9001:2008-certified,” Minda Diloy, head of PCC’s Integrated Management Audit Section, said.

This brings to five the total number of ISO 9001-certified PCC regional centers. The other regional centers are PCC at Mariano Marcos State University (PCC at MMSU), PCC at University of the Philippines at Los Baños (PCC at UPLB), and PCC at Ubay Stock Farm (PCC at USF). 

The auditing and certification were done by TÜV SÜD PSB Philippines, the first certification body in Asia to introduce ISO 9000 as a basis for quality system certification. Its renown as a leading global provider of technical services has spread worldwide as it continues to assist clients improve quality, safety and reliability while ensuring environmental protection and cost effectiveness.

The certification audits for PCC at CSU and PCC at USM were undertaken on August 5-6 and October 10-11, respectively.

Diloy revealed that the preparation for certification varies, depending on the pace of the organization. PCC at CSU made it in 28 months. Activities started with the QMS documentation training and workshop with all the center staff in April 2011. Its succeeding activities involved establishment of necessary documents (procedures for all divisions/ sections/units); testing of the written documents; conducting internal audit and inviting the certifying body to conduct an initial evaluation of its system through the stage 1 audit.

PCC at USM’s preparation, on the other hand, was relatively shorter. The QMS documentation training and workshop were done in August 2012. The same activities conducted at PCC at CSU were employed and the certification audit was done 14 months after the first activity.

According to Diloy, the certification audit was conducted by a certifying body by thoroughly checking or evaluating the presence of documented mandatory requirements of Quality Management System such as control of documents, records, non-conforming products/services, internal quality audit, and corrective and preventive actions. 

She said that the availability of these documents subjected for initial auditing indicated the readiness of the two regional centers audited for the processes necessary in the development of its products and delivery of service. 

The implementation of the written procedures in the audit process, she pointed out, was evidenced by consistently keeping records and making use of these records to design corrective actions whenever found necessary.  Preventive actions come after an organization has determined potential problems that may hamper its smooth operations, she added.

Diloy said the duration of the certification cycle lasts for three years. She added that the organization will have to undergo the first surveillance audit a year after the certification to check on the sustained implementation of the established system.

It was learned that the certification may be suspended or withdrawn when major non-conformities are found and the implementation of corrective action is not done within the prescribed period. 

The second surveillance audit is done after another year, which means completing one certification cycle.

According to the procedures, an organization applies for the renewal of its certificate after the third year in which the re-certification audit is conducted by a certifying body.

(With reports from Minda Diloy)

The province of Nueva Ecija continues to pursue its bid to become the “Dairy Capital of the Philippines” as it observed the 7th edition of the annual “Gatas ng Kalabaw (Carabao’s Milk) Festival”, this time graciously hosted by the town of Gen. Natividad.

The festival, which was held November 15, at the town’s gymnasium, aims to promote the dairy buffalo’s milk not only for economic benefits but also for the promotion of health and nutrition among small-hold dairy farmers and their families as well as the consumers.

Highlight of this year’s celebration was the symbolic “tagay pugay (toast of salutation)”, a simultaneous milk toasting and drinking featuring school children and representatives from partner private institutions and government agencies. It emphasized the significance of multi-sectoral efforts in promoting and uplifting the local dairy industry in Nueva Ecija, which is the National Impact Zone (NIZ) of the Carabao Development Program (CDP) of the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC).

Speaking during the opening program, PCC chief of operations Dr. Annabelle Sarabia affirmed PCC’s continuous support to the local dairy farmers. She also thanked the local government units (LGUs) of Nueva Ecija and other agencies that are supporting PCC in its endeavor to develop and strengthen the local dairy industry for the benefit of the rural dairy farmers. 

During the program, the Nueva Ecija provincial office of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) awarded milking equipment and village-based milk collection centers to clustered dairy cooperatives in the towns of Guimba, Sto. Domingo, Llanera, and General Natividad during a ceremonial turn-over as part of DTI’s “Shared Service Facilities” program.

As a complementary feature of the festival, DTI provincial director Brigida Pili also launched the agency’s Diskwento Caravan”. The caravans offer discounted Nueva Ecija-made products that include, among others, food items, spices and hand-made baskets. The caravan aims to assist local entrepreneurs in promoting their products not only in the province but in other parts of Central Luzon as well.

Spearheaded by DTI in partnership with the Gen. Natividad LGU, the festival was participated in by officials from public agencies, LGUs, and dairy cooperatives from Gen. Natividad, Llanera, San Jose City, Science City of Munoz, and Talavera town. The municipality of Gen. Natividad has four PCC-assisted dairy cooperatives.

Gen. Natividad Mayor Areli Grace Santos, meanwhile, has accepted the request that her town serve again as host for the next festival, which will coincide with the foundation anniversary of her town in July, 2014.