Increase in dairy production eyed
Posted on October 12th, 2009
Two dairy organizations have joined forces to consolidate the efforts of their offices towards increasing dairy production nationwide. The Philippine Fruit and Vegetable Industries Inc. (PhilFruits), represented by its president Solomon D. Badoy, and Dairy Confederation of the Philippines (DairyCon), represented by national chairman Danilo V. Fausto, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the said objective.
PhilFruits is the corporate arm of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR). It brings to the table the different agrarian reform beneficiaries and cooperatives of the agriculture department. These will serve as the recipients of the different programs and technical support that the Dairy have agreed to provide in order to increase the dairy production.
Included in the MOU is the purchase and dispersal of livestock to individual agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs), as well as provisions for training and community programs that will enhance the skills and capabilities of the ARBs in maximizing the utilization of their current livestock.
According to Fausto, the national daily production of milk in the country is roughly only about 15 percent of the total milk requirement of the industry. He says that with the entry of the more than 3,000 agrarian reform cooperatives of the DAR, this scenario will definitely change.
Dairy is a P150-billion industry. Fausto said that the move is in the right direction for the benefit of the farmers.
For his part, Badoy is optimistic that the programs of DairyCon will increase farmer’s farm utilization and provide them with alternative income sources between planting seasons. He said that the two organizations, PhilFruits and DairyCon, will be providing artificial insemination and genetic improvement materials for existing livestock of the ARBs.
Also present during the signing ceremony were Nathaniel A. Campo, manager, operations and planning of PhilFruits, executive director Rowena Bautista of DairyCon and PhilFruits consultant Rodrigo P. Santos.
