Aglipay Dairy Producers Cooperative is this Year’s Best Dairy Co-op
The Philippine Carabao Center(PCC) has chosen the Aglipay Dairy Producers Cooperative (ADPC) in Brgy. Aglipay, Rizal, Nueva EcUa as the country’s best dairy cooperative this year
APDC has started as the Aglipay Primary Multi-Purpose Cooperative in 1999 and succeeded the Angat Buhay Producers Multi-Purpose Cooperative in Calabalabaan, Science City of Munoz, Nueva Ecija, which was conferred the Hall of Fame after being the best dairy co-op in the last three years.
According to Reynaldo Calixtro, co-op manager, the ADPC was expected to avail two dairy modules from the PCC in 1999 and 2000, but there were so many takers and, hence, only one module and 16 head were given to them. Each dairy module consisted of 24 Murrah buffalo heifers, which were at least 18 months old, and a bull. Only 16 head were availed of in the second module, which were given in August 2000.
The bull, given as a loan to be paid in terms of the number of impregnated dams, was intended as a guarantee that there would be a ready bull when female buffalos become in heat. At the same time, the calf will still be a pure buffalo.
As agreed upon by the co-op and the PCC, every heifer recipient is expected to give back his first female calf to the PCC when it is 18 months old as payment for the original stock. The PCC will then give the new heifer as a loan to an aspiring member of the co-op.
At present, the members have a total of 55 breedable animals, 30 heifers and female calves, and 13 junior bulls and male calves. From 2000 until February 2007, 146 calves have been produced. This however indicates that some of the buffalos, especially the junior bulls, were sold either to the butcher or to other farmers who use them for draft purposes. Junior bulls, at least 16 months old, are worth no less P 16,000 each.
At the time of our visit last May, 25 dams were being milked. Calixtro said the coop has collected an average of 80 kg of fresh milk a day last April, and this has increased to 100 kg a day in May.
For one year already, the Nueva Ecija Federation of Dairy Carabao Cooperatives (NEFEDCCO) has been picking up the milk from the co-op every morning. From the amount paid by NEFEDCCO, it retains P2 per liter as the member’s share in capital buildup. The co-op, at the same time, retains another r2 per liter as payment for milk collection and marketing.
Before 2006, however, the co-op had to deliver the milk to the federation’s plant in Talavera town.
PRODUCTION
Although the first birth occurred in 2000, it was only in 2002 when the coop started to record the milk produced by the dams of its members. From 2002 to March 15, 2007, the co-op was able to produce 80,615.92 kilograms (kg) of fresh buffalo milk worth P2,723,368.68. The price of fresh milk in 2002 to 2004 was P32/kg. This increased to P34/kg in 2005, and to P36/kg from 2006 to the present.
Starting with only 4,071 kg (P130,272) in 2002, milk production rose to 21,258 kg (P680,256) in 2003. However, it decreased to 10,951.9 kg (P350,460.80) in 2004 but that was only temporary because the production increased again to 16,840.42 kg (P572,574.28) in 2005 and 21,973 kg (P791,028) in 2006. From January to March 16 this year, the co-op produced 5,521.6 kg of fresh milk worth P198,777.60.
At the end of 2006, the total asset of the co-op was P3,928,506. This is comprised of total current assets (P2,274,628.87), investments (P75,300), property and, equipment (11578,243.81), land and building (P999,333.34), and a petty cash fund (P3,000).
Moreover, the co-op has acquired a delivery truck, motorcycle for milk collection and mobile ricemill. Both the delivery truck and mobile ricemill are intended to service the members for a fee.
Based on income statement of the coop for 2006, it had a total revenue of P951,269.10 and a net surplus – this was after deducting the operating and administrative expenses and reserve funds – of P258,770.71. These are higher compared Based on income statement of the coop for 2006, it had a total revenue of P951,269.10 and a net surplus – this was after deducting the operating and administrative expenses and reserve funds – of P258,770.71. These are higher compared with their total revenue of P676,914.31 and net surplus of P129,709.38 in 2005.
And because the co-op has grown extensively, its officers now receive honoraria, allowances and representation expenses. In 2006, the officers received P128,900, which was P18,500 more than what they got in 2005 (P110,400). Representation expenses amounted to P18,685 in 2006 and P13,925.50 in 2005.
The officers did not receive honoraria and allowances when the co-op was still starting. This is understandable because that time the co-op was not earning much. Every service that they gave to the co-op was for development and not for personal gain.
In addition to its enterprise development program, ADPC is also engaged in milk and palay trading. It provides its members emergency loans without interest, artificial insemination services, animal health services, and crop production loans.
MEMBERS’ EXPERIENCES
The members said they have derived benefits from dairy buffalo production, and this is something they could not have obtained from other enterprises in the barangay.
Co-op Chairman Lito Antalan, for instance, recently sold a heifer for P22,000. He used the money for the construction of his animal shed. Coop Vice Chairman George Javier also recently sold his heifer to Novatech President and General Manager Dr. ‘Rene Sumaoang, who, for a start would like to raise at least five buffalo dams in his farm in Sta. Ignacia, Tarlac.
Antalan revealed, however, that he also had an unfortunate experience with the buffalo. Although he got a twin in the third delivery of his original stock, the dam died when the calves were already one year old. The sad thing about it was that he did not even collect the dam’s milk because it was feeding two calves at the same time.
Calixtro, on the other hand, earns no less than P100 a day from fresh milk. His daily income even reached P150 a day at one time. He said that through his income from buffalo milk, he is able to ensure the daily allowance of his daughter who is pursuing a degree in business management at the Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology (NEUST).
Right now, Calixtro has a milking dam, a heifer and a young calf. He also cultivates a hectare (ha) of irrigated rice land that was planted with PSB Rc82 last cropping season. He harvested 135 bags; each bag weighs 52 to 53 kg. On the other hand, Antalan cultivates 1.5 ha which he planted with a variety that was being promoted as being better than SL 8H. Called SL 9H, its maturity was not uniform as the panicles reportedly emerged in four stages.
The youngest member of the co-op, Armando Lopez, 36, was able to build a house from his income from buffalo milk. In 2004, he had six dams and a bull. However, he left in August 2004 to work in Qatar for 27 months and when he came back, only three dams were left due to neglect.
Despite such an experience, Lopez believes that many farmers still like to take care of Murrah buffalos if the current price of fresh milk will be maintained or improved.