Author: David Edjae Lacambra

Budding carapreneurs from the three cooperatives assisted by DA-Philippine Carabao Center (DA-PCC) in North Luzon gained know-how on animal nutrition and feeding technologies at the Cara-Aralan Farmers’ Field Day (FFD) held today at the DA-PCC at Cagayan State University (DA-PCC at CSU) National Swamp Buffalo Gene Pool and Dairy Buffalo Farm in Baung, Piat, Cagayan.

The participating cooperatives—Integrated Farmers Cooperative (IFC), Apayao Piat Agriculture Cooperative, and Pinoy Bagong Pag-asa Marketing Cooperative—are committed to achieving success in dairying.

The activity, organized by the Knowledge Management Division (KMD) of DA-PCC National Headquarters and Gene Pool (KMD-DA-PCC NHGP) in collaboration with DA-PCC at CSU, was designed to level up carapreneurs’ skills and knowledge to effectively implement new technologies to boost dairy productivity and income.

This event is a concise version of the Farmer Field School, a people-oriented learning approach developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) that emphasizes hands-on learning and practical application.

Dr. Daniel Aquino, former center director of DA-PCC at Central Luzon State University (DA-PCC at CLSU), provided technical insights on ensiling and proper animal feeding procedures to maintain their health and fitness.

Following the lecture, the KMD introduced the latest innovations developed by the DA-PCC to support carapreneurs. Participants engaged in hands-on activities where they learned the proper processes for ensiling, storing, and producing optimal carabao feed using DA-PCC’s innovative products.

Technologies such as Blockmate and Buro Booster were presented by Dr. Phoebe Llantada and Charity Castillo of the Production Systems and Nutrition Section.

“I am happy that we are having this great opportunity because the DA-PCC shared with us new and improved techniques. We have learned a lot, and this will surely help us improve our skills in dairying,” said Vilma Cabaddu, one of the participants.

Like Vilma, other participants expressed their enthusiasm for DA-PCC’s innovations, believing that attending learning events such as Cara-Aralan FFD will propel them forward in their carapreneurship journey.

Forty-eight identified farmers from the Lopez Raisers Dairy Cooperative were equipped and capacitated with the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively implement the Coconut-Carabao Development Project (CCDP) in Lopez, Quezon. The farmers underwent trainings on social preparation, dairy buffalo production, and milk processing at the Brgy. Hall Rosario, Lopez, Quezon, on July 8-9.

CCDP is a partnership project of DA-PCC and DA-Philippine Coconut Authority with its primary goal to provide additional income and generate livelihood opportunities to coconut farmers through carabao-based enterprises. This initiative is funded by the Office of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform chaired by Senator Cynthia Villar.

Rebecca P. Tiama, municipal agriculturist of Lopez, Quezon, encouraged participants to maximize this learning opportunity. Additionally, Belen S. Ruiz, acting division chief I of PCA Quezon II, detailed the components of the CCDP project, highlighting the distribution of 60 carabaos and the establishment of a dairy processing facility to enhance livelihood opportunities for the beneficiaries.

Dr. Thelma A. Saludes, DA-PCC at UPLB center director, reiterated the agency’s commitment to supporting the beneficiaries by providing technical assistance and extension services.

The DA-PCC at UPLB training team included Director Saludes, Senior Science Research Specialist Engr. Jose C. Canaria, Science Research Analyst Reynald D. Amido, Regional Knowledge Manager Jeremie Marinella S. Ledesma, and Administrative Aide Richard A. Nepomuceno.

Carapreneurs or dairy carabao farmers in Nueva Ecija alongside staff members of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform (CAFAR) participated today in the Cara-Aralan Farmers’ Field Day (FFD)—a technology showcase of DA-PCC’s innovative practices and research outputs for extension and advisory support.

The carapreneurs were invited to also participate in the “Senate CAFAR Consultation on Senate Bill 2558” held at the National Headquarters and Gene Pool of the DA-PCC, Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija.

The CAFAR delegation was led by Senator Cynthia Villar’s chief of staff Atty. Rhaegie Tamaña and Atty. Philip Lina.

The Cara-Aralan Farmers’ Field Day, a learning event platform of the DA-PCC’s Knowledge Management Division, was designed to enhance farmers’ knowledge and technical skills. It showcased today various technologies aimed at boosting dairy productivity and income. Four key technologies currently implemented by the the DA-PCC in Nueva Ecija villages were highlighted for their potential to significantly improve dairy farming outcomes.

Mary Rose D. Uy, Senior Science Research Specialist and head of the Production Systems and Nutrition Section, led the demonstration. She first introduced the Enhanced Rice Straw technology (eRS). She said eRS supports better nutrition for carabaos. Enhanced feed quality is crucial for the health and productivity of dairy livestock, she added.

Edwin Gonzales, Science Research Specialist I, presented Buro Booster, a technology offering efficient solutions for food production. The Buro Booster helps farmers maximize feed efficiency, thereby improving the overall health of their livestock and boosting dairy production.

Psalm Joseph Lavarias, Science Research Analyst, explained the benefits of Blockmate, a nutrition block that provides essential nutrients to carabaos. This technology ensures the optimal growth and productivity of dairy animals, contributing to the sustainability of dairy farming operations.

Highlighting the techno-demo was the use of Agras T30 Drone developed by DJI. This agricultural drone can be used to effectively spray pesticides, fertilizers, and other crop treatments over large areas of farmland, demonstrating its practical application in Philippine agriculture.

The Cara-Aralan (FFD) is a concise version of the Farmer Field School, a people-oriented learning approach developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) that emphasizes hands-on learning and practical application. It aims to empower farmers with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively implement new technologies.

The Masinloc Farmers’ Agriculture Cooperative (MFAC) received 18 pregnant dairy buffaloes under the Dairy Herd Buildup Program (DHBP) of the DA-Philippine Carabao Center (DA-PCC), facilitated through the initiative of Sen. Cynthia Villar. The ceremonial entrustment was held on June 28, 2024, at the Brgy. Sto. Rosario, Masinloc, Zambales.

Dr. Ericson N. Dela Cruz, center director of DA-PCC at CLSU, beamed with pride as he announced the historic entrustment of the pregnant buffaloes to the MFAC farmers. He mentioned that these buffaloes will aid farmers in improving their livelihoods.

Engr. Noel Mirabel, speaking on behalf of Provincial Veterinarian Dr. Jeffry Nawen, shared invaluable insights on dairy buffalo production and management and highlighted the opportunity this program presents for farmers.

Dr. Caro B. Salces, deputy executive director of DA-PCC, emphasized the significance of supporting local produce, particularly products made from carabao’s meat and milk.

Engr. Sharlene Garcia representing Sen. Cynthia Villar, delivered Sen. Villar’s video message and emphasized the mission to achieve 100% of locally produced milk. The goal was to ensure that every child receives the nourishment necessary for them to grow strong, intelligent, and healthy.

“Ang mga kalabaw na ito ay dagdag sa naunang 40 head of dairy buffaloes na natanggap ninyo para sa inyong mga miyembro. Upang makamit ang layunin na mapataas ang local milk production ay dapat magkaroon ng tamang breed ng dairy animal, wastong pagpapakain, tamang kulungan, at tamang teknik ng paggagatas at processing nito para makarating sa ating mga kababayan,” Sen. Villar said in a video message.

In a subsequent video message, Undersecretary for Livestock Deogracias Victor Savellano underscored that the program exemplifies Sen. Villar’s unwavering commitment to improving farmers’ lives by providing essential support and facilities.

Hermenegildo Manglicmot, chairperson of MFAC, expressed his heartfelt appreciation for the blessing their co-op received. He pledged to diligently care for the buffaloes and affirmed the cooperative’s commitment to sustaining such programs in the future.

The dairy buffaloes, raised and bred at the DA-PCC National Bull Farm, were carefully taken care of to ensure they were healthy and strong before being handed over to the farmers.

The Department of Agriculture-Philippine Carabao Center at Central Luzon State University unveiled the 2nd Dairy Box in Zambales, marking a milestone as the 6th in Region III.

The Dairy Box was turned over to the Castillejos Farmers’ Agriculture Cooperative (CFAC) on June 26, 2024 at the Government Center, San Nicolas, Castillejos, Zambales.

The one-stop shop offers locals delicious buffalo milk products and supports small-scale dairy farmers by providing market access and opportunities.

Additionally, the CFAC received equipment and animals from DA-PCC programs, with support from Sen. Cynthia Villar’s office.

In the first part of the program, member of Congress Camille Villar and Mayor Jeffrey Khonghun led the ribbon-cutting ceremony, with the blessing officiated by Rev. Fr. Joel T. Huerto.

“Napakahalaga ng ibinigay ng ating mahal na Sen. Villar. Makatutulong ito sa ating kooperatiba at kababayan sa Castillejos,” Mayor Khonghun expressed.

Dr. Ericson N. Dela Cruz, DA-PCC at CLSU center director, envisioned a thriving dairy industry, with the Dairy Box as an important component to success.

“Kami sa DA-PCC ay buong pwersa na nandito para magbigay ng suportang teknikal at sosyal,” he said.

According to Ma. Theresa Sawit, DA-PCC National Carabao-based Enterprise Development coordinator, the event highlighted collaboration, community development, and a commitment to uplifting the people of Castillejos.

Rep. Villar shared her mother’s vision for farmers and agriculture, underscoring the Dairy Box’s role in elevating livelihoods.

“Ang mama ko [Sen. Cynthia Villar] ay mahal na mahal ang mga magsasaka at isinusulong ang kapakanan ng agriculture sector as a whole. Ang Dairy Box ay naging kapaki-pakinabang na daan upang maipaabot sa publiko ang dairy products ng mga dairy farmers at isa rin itong epektibong paraan para isulong ang industriya ng gatas sa ating bansa at sana ay mas dumami pa ang mga Dairy Box dito sa Pilipinas,” she shared.

Estella Valiente, DA-PCC Carabo-based Business Improvement Network Project Focal, shared stories of transformation and gratitude, highlighting hope and prosperity.

Bernabe Ladislao, Board of Directors of CFAC, and Randy Serafica, Vice President of CFAC, expressed collective gratitude on behalf of all CFAC members for the support they received for the project and for being recipients of the Dairy Box.

The Dairy Box showcases a delectable array of products such as chocolate milk, yogurt, pastillas, and more.

The event was attended by DA-PCC at CLSU staff, barangay captains, LGU staff, Sanggunian Bayan members, councilors, farm owners, and CFAC members.

Nineteen young farmers were among the 55 graduates of the modular Farmers Livestock School on Dairy Buffalo Production (FLS-DBP) during a ceremony held at the Hamtic Multipurpose Cooperative Covered Gym, Poblacion II, Hamtic, Antique on June 21, 2024.

The traditional FLS-DBP sessions typically span 15 days. However, the modular approach, led by FLS-DBP trainer and Project Development Assistant II Angeline Javier, conducted sessions on-site in each cluster for two hours per session. This format allowed young farmers to attend despite their weekday classes. The sessions ran from April 24, 2024, to June 21, 2024.

Elmer G. Misajon, the 2024 Class Valedictorian in the Farmers Category, reflected on his training experience and emphasized the challenges and learnings in dairy buffalo production.

“Our learnings are not limited to the subjects we had; the training was a way for us to gauge our determination and commitment in taking care of our carabaos. During the training, I thought raising a carabao was ‘basic,’ just feeding it and making sure it’s full, but it’s actually more than that. Here, I realized that dairying can be a family enterprise,” he said in Filipino.

Felmar M. Sarad, the 2024 Class Valedictorian in the Youth Category, encouraged his peers to view the dairy industry as a sustainable source of family income.

“We, the new generation, need to support our parents in farming and not turn our backs on agriculture. Not to brag, but I’m hands-on in our dairy farm. Our training is a significant boost to our livelihood and will help make Sarad Dairy Farm well-known worldwide,” Sarad shared.

The graduation was officiated by Janice H. Cuaresma, CBED coordinator of DA-PCC at WVSU, with Marciano T. Virola, Jr., senior cooperative advisor of AgriTerra, serving as the guest speaker.

The event was one of the highlights of the 57th foundation anniversary of Hamtic Multi-Purpose Cooperative, one of the conduit cooperatives under the Carabao-based Business Improvement Network.

Attendees included Hon. Liberty Bertolano, SB-Member of Hamtic, Committee on Agriculture, Feliza E. Labrador, MPA, General Manager of Antique Federation of Cooperative, Mercy Gabasa, Acting Supervising CDS, Cooperative Development Authority, Lanelyn T. Beliceña, Provincial Cooperative Specialist, and Jasmine Tejada, VICTO Representative.

To enhance artificial insemination (AI) efficiency and improve the reproductive efficiency in water buffaloes in the Caraga Region, the DA-Philippine Carabao Center at Central Mindanao University (DA-PCC at CMU) collaborated with DA-Agricultural Training Institute–Regional Training Center XIII (DA-ATI-RTC XIII).

Held from June 3 to 21 at the Regional Training Center in Musuan, Maramag, Bukidnon, the training program was attended by 13 select Agricultural Extension Workers (AEWs) from the Caraga Region. Most participants had prior training in pregnancy diagnosis and artificial insemination for cattle and water buffaloes.

The DA-PCC at CMU’s team of experts, led by Center Director Dr. Lowell Paraguas, included Armando Racho, Ramon Soliven Jr., and resource speakers from the College of Veterinary Medicine at CMU, Dr. Jose Escarlos Jr. and Dr. Ampie Magdalene Sua. Experts from DA-PCC National Headquarters such as Dr. Edwin Atabay, national artificial insemination coordinator, and Joselito Del Rosario also served as training resource speakers.

According to Dr. Paraguas, this training combined theoretical lectures with practical assessments, addressing the challenges in implementing the Genetic Improvement Program (GIP) in the region.

“One of the challenges in the Genetic Improvement Program by the center is to increase the number of active AI technicians from various local government units (LGUs) and village-based artificial insemination technicians (VBAITs) across Mindanao to consistently provide more AI services and increase calf drop rates for water buffaloes and cattle,” Dr. Paraguas explained.

Dr. Atabay emphasized the importance of a Triple “E” strategy: enhancing pregnancy rates, implementing an effective rebreeding program, and early detection of pregnancy.

“The primary objective of the program is to improve the pregnancy rates of the country’s water buffaloes, aligning with the agency’s responsibility to propagate and protect the animals,” Dr. Atabay stated.

During the culmination program, ATI Information Officer II Ginalyn Arbutante highlighted the critical role of trained individuals in intensifying the genetic improvement program for carabao and cattle in their respective provinces.

“We look forward to the graduates giving back to their communities by sharing the expertise and new skills they acquired during the 20 days of training,” Arbutante added.

Additionally, Dr. Elena Paraguas, the CMU Training Coordinator for DA-PCC, thanked ATI for the financial support. According to her, this program will greatly improve calf drop efficiency, which will raise milk production to meet the nation’s demand and specifically support the Department of Education’s (DepEd) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Milk Feeding Program.

The Schools Division Office of Antique once again partners with DA-PCC-assisted cooperatives for the implementation of the milk feeding program under the School-Based Feeding Program of the Department of Education.
The implementation will cover 43 feeding days starting today, June 24, 2024, and will continue until the last week of July, implementing a double-feeding scheme.

Pandan Multi-Purpose Cooperative will cater to the area of North Antique with 2,419 beneficiaries from the municipalities of Libertad, Sebaste, Pandan, Lauan, Barbaza, Tibiao, and Culasi, with a commitment of 20,804 bottles of pasteurized milk.

Hamtic Multi-Purpose Cooperative will serve 2,866 beneficiaries of the South Antique area including the municipalities of Hamtic, Tobias Fornier, Anini-y, San Remigio, and San Jose de Buenavista, and is expected to deliver 24,648 bottles of pasteurized milk.

Janice H. Cuaresma, CBED Coordinator of DA-PCC at WVSU, expressed her pride in the growing market of cooperatives supported by DA-PCC.
“As partners of these cooperatives, it brings joy to my heart to see them continually benefiting from our agency’s project in the Province of Antique. This project is steadily achieving its goal of creating livelihoods for our local dairy producers while fostering a strong partnership with the Department of Education,” she said.

This marks the second time that DA-PCC-assisted cooperatives in Antique have supplied milk for the DepEd’s School-Based Feeding Program, following their initial engagement in May 2022.

To enhance the dairy production of the local farmers in Namabbalan Norte, Tuguegarao City, Cagayan, the DA-Philippine Carabao Center at Cagayan State University (DA-PCC at CSU) conducted a two-day live-out Social Preparation Training (SPT) at DA-PCC at CSU’s Conference Hall, Namabbalan Norte, Tuguegarao City on June 10-11, 2023.

This comprehensive training assessed the capacity of the cooperatives on policy-making, imparting knowledge on project management and implementation through technical know-how and sharing moral values.

The training is part of the Carabao-Based Enterprise Development (CBED) program, a flagship initiative of the DA-PCC that aims to provide comprehensive support to farmers, from training to market access, to ensure the sustainability and profitability of carabao-based enterprises and instill hope and optimism in the dairy industry’s stakeholders.

Dr. Rovina Piñera, center director of DA-PCC at CSU, shared that the training will not only enhance the skills of the farmers in the barangay but also empower them to take charge of their dairy production. This, in turn, will lead to a substantial boost in the province’s overall dairy or milk production of carabaos.

“We need to train more individuals or farmers to provide, sustain, and produce more milk for the public. This empowerment of the farmers is a testament to their resilience and dedication to their craft, and it’s a source of pride for the community,” Dr. Piñera said.

Moreover, the DA-PCC still aims to accelerate the increase of local dairy stocks and milk production, especially in Namabbalan. The Integrated Farmers’ Cooperative (IFC), a cooperative formed in 1996, has been engaged in dairy production with the DA-PCC at CSU. It has been operating its economic activity focusing on the products from carabao’s milk and cattle’s milk, particularly in the area. At present, a total of 70 active IFC farmer-members in Namabbalan are participating in producing good-quality dairy stocks.

The two-day live-out training provided a platform for the farmers to enhance their skills in conserving, propagating, and promoting the carabao as a multipurpose commodity, but it also opened up new livelihood opportunities for the local dairy farmers and the local industry. The training’s potential to boost the local economy and significantly improve the quality of life for the farmers and the community is a beacon of hope, making it a crucial step towards the sustainable development of the dairy industry in Namabbalan.