The Provincial Government of Pangasinan, represented by Assistant Provincial Agriculturist Nestor Batalla and Prov. Engineer Nilo Buenconsejo, visited the DA-Philippine Carabao Center (DA-PCC) National Headquarters and Gene Pool on September 23 to see the agency’s animal housing facilities, milking parlor, and practices, which can be adopted at the Laoac-Provincial Dairy Farm (LPDF) of Pangasinan.
The team of Mr. Batalla was accompanied by DA-PCC at Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University (DA-PCC at DMMMSU) Center Director Vilma Gagni, who covers the Carabao Development Program operations in Pangasinan.
The visit of Mr. Batalla was based on earlier plans with the DA-PCC’s Reproduction and Physiology Section (RPS), led by Dr. Danilda Hufana-Duran, to establish the livestock biotechnology program of Pangasinan. Since the buffaloes at LPDF are crossbreds, the bloodline of these animals needs to be upgraded to produce higher volume of milk and support the province-wide milk feeding program.
Using reproductive biotechnologies, Dr. Edwin Atabay of RPS in partnership with DA-PCC at DMMMSU carried out the Fixed-Time Artificial Insemination using semen of selected river buffalo bulls last September 8-19 to produce 75% generations of crossbreds. With the expected calving of the pregnant animals, construction of the milking parlor is needed, hence the visit.
DA-PCC OIC Executive Director Dr. Ronnie D. Domingo welcomed the team and accompanied them to the milking parlor at the DA-PCC National Gene Pool; Central Dairy Collection and Processing Facility; Milka Krem where dairy products are marketed; and the ACDI Farm in Lomboy, San Jose City.
The LPDF started their operation in February with 93 head of crossbred buffaloes. As these animals are crossbreds, facilitation of the production of purebred animals using advanced reproductive biotechnologies was proposed. Dr. Domingo instructed Dr. Hufana-Duran to craft the project proposal for funding by the Department of Agriculture.
