Value chain analysis (VCA) of the carabao industry is crucial to understand relationships, different key players, markets, opportunities, as well as the constraints in the production and competitiveness of small-hold farmers.
This was emphasized by Dr. Arnel N. Del Barrio, executive director of the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC), in his industry report during the Third National Carabao Conference held last November 27-28. The confab was held at the national headquarters of PCC in the Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija.
He said that in the past two years, the value chain of carabao and carabao-based products was analyzed with assistance from the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA).
“Sometimes, we only focus on producing milk. We don’t usually pay much attention on the consumers, suppliers of feeds and antibiotics and drugs. But in the value chain, we are all considered important players and contributors to the value of products, thus, we need to converge and reconcile,” he elucidated.
He added that the value chain in the carabao and carabao-based products encompasses different phases such as production, processing, and delivery thru market-focused collaboration among different stakeholders who produce and market value-added products.
He said that those involved are the players in input provision, carabao growing or milk production, collection or storage, processing, and trading or marketing.
“Through the analyzed value chain, we can determine those areas that need further investments, funds, and specific measures for improvement. The ultimate goal is to increase the income of the carabao farmers and enhance the growth of the dairy and meat industries,” he averred.
Other highlights of the PCC’s accomplishments, according to Dr. del Barrio, included the creation of partnerships with government and non-government organizations/agencies to address poverty of the farmers and malnutrition of the children, creation of sustainable markets, provision of credit window for carabao-based enterprise development (CBED), institutionalization of training program thru the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), launching of International Confab on CBED, and a number of promotional and educational strategies to promote the agency’s program and services.
“As of now, we’ve already launched three Dairy Boxes, one in Luzon and two in Visayas. If God will bless us, we target to launch and open 21 Dairy Boxes next year to create sustainable markets of our products. If farmers have a ready market, they will be inspired and motivated to milk their carabaos and contribute more to the dairy industry,” Dr. del Barrio said.
The event was attended by at least 500 farmers and other stakeholders in the carabao-based industry.
Also part of the event was the convergence meeting of partner-stakeholders in the industry, and simultaneous signing of the partners, farmers and other stakeholders on a commitment board to support the carabao industry.
During the opening program, the mechanics of the launching of the “Gintong Kalabaw Cup” were presented via an infographic video presentation.
The winners of the search for “Gintong Kalabaw Cup”, “Modelong Juana sa Kalabawan”, “Modelong Kabataan sa Kalabawan”, “Outstanding Dairy Buffalo”, “Best Dairy Cooperative Category”, and “Outstanding Dairy Buffalo Farmers” for the smallhold, family module, and semi-commercial categories, were eventually announced and appropriately honored on the first day of the event.
