Introducing Dairying : The Bohol Experience
Dr. Caro Salces, chief of the PCC at Ubay Stock Farm, said the institutional dairy production approach started in January 1996. To start the project, newly calved American Murrah buffalos were selected based on their potential as dairy animals. Among the criteria are body conformation and formation and size of the teats.
Fifteen head were selected, haltered and confined. Ten of the 15 buffalos were trained on milk collection, and milk collection started on March 1, 1996 with only one milk collection a day. A temporary milking parlor was also constructed.
Two contractual workers were trained at the PCC at Central Mindanao University (CMU) on milk collection and handling, but it took them about two months to become proficient.
To ensure that project implementation would materialize, Oswaldo Godinez, one of the regular employees, was relieved as chief of extension services to handle the dairy operations. For him to acquire first hand knowledge and ideas on dairy operation, he was sent to PCC at Central Luzon State University (CLSU) on January 29-31, 1996 to attend a special three-day hands-on training on milk collection and observe on the implementation of a dairy project.
Since dairying was new in Ubay, marketing of the milk became a problem. The population had a low buying capacity and milk was not a priority. Moreover, the USF and the Bohol Experiment Station (BES) also set up their own dairy projects using cattle, resulting in a competition for the limited market. The milk had to be marketed in population centers but transport cost also became a constraint.
To salvage the situation, PCC at USF decided to take leadership in processing and marketing the dairy products. Thus, one of the’ regular employees, Maurita Villegas, was designated to take the lead in processing and marketing in addition to her assignment as collecting officer. PCC at USF absorbed the milk produced at USF and BES and processed and marketed it.
To strengthen the centers’ capability on milk processing, Guillerma B. Abayabay and Ceferino Balighot, then the newly appointed farm supervisor, were sent to PCC at CMU in 1997 to train on milk processing and handling. A dairy processing and market outlet was established later beside the old PCC office.
The outlet was renovated and expanded in 2005 to comply with the requirements of the Bureau of Food and Drugs in its application for a license to operate or LTO. Subsequently, BFAD approved its LTO under RDII-RVII-F-2970.
To date, Abay-abay supervises the dairy processing and marketing operations with four other workers, operating on a self liquidating business. Alexander Casinillo now heads the dairy production unit with two other staff on a self liquidating operation. From an initial annual sale of P52,506 in 1996, the annual sale has tremendously increased to P1,305,600.41 in 2006, and is expected to reach P1,500,000 in 2007.
FARMER DAIRY MODULE
When the 25-dairy buffalo module or “panggatasan” program started, the introduction of dairying to farmers in Region VII was a great challenge to PCC at USE To make the ball rolling, so to speak, community organizing was done with prospective recipients of the program. The PCC staff also went through trainings and seminars to equip them with appropriate knowledge on the implementation of the program, which aims to directly alleviate farmers’ income through milk production.
In 1998, the center released the first module of pregnant Bulgarian Murrah buffalos to the Ubay Dairy Multi-Purpose Cooperative. The recipients, as stated in the contract, are expected to engage in milk production, processing and marketing. Simultaneously, the center started its dairy operation.
In the same year, the center’s milk production and processing operation started despite limitations on capitalization. It started with a small volume of milk from a limited number of milking animals in the center and at the farmers’ level. Cost of production was temporarily taken from the center’s operating expenses and some from its own sale. The method of processing was purely manual. Processed products were pasteurized milk, choco milk, and white cheese.
At the start, marketing was done only at the center, resulting in low sales. Consequently, the center was forced to hire a person who conducted marketing activities outside the center and extended to different municipalities of Bohol including Tagbilaran City. Office-tooffice marketing and marketing of the products in different municipalities during their market days were also done.
Likewise, the dairy products were promoted in the offices of LGUs and some private groups. The center also campaigned for a milk feeding program in coordination with the National Dairy Authority to promote dairy products, specifically fresh milk, as a ration in the LGU milk feeding program.
Customers have learned to intentionally come to the center to buy dairy products. LGUs are now contacting the center as a supplier of milk for their feeding program.
The center has already coordinated a considerable number of milk feeding programs with the Department of Social Welfare and Development provincial office and regional office. It has also managed to open a store at the Ubay town proper to cater to customers from different barangays and places who cannot go to the center to buy its products.
Indeed, the demand for dairy products has increased with the opening of new outlets in the town proper of Ubay and soon in Tagbilaran City. This further motivates the center and the farmers to produce more milk. It would mean sustainability of the project due to increased income, and increased income for farmers engaged in milk production.
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