Carabao-based dairy farming has become a viable enterprise in the Philippines and experts are saying it is an emerging industry that is seen to have the ability to address food security and income-generating opportunities to Filipinos.
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, milk production in the country was 19.5 million liters in 2013, 33.6 liters of which came from carabao’s milk.
However, despite the potential of this industry, local milk production can only contribute 1 percent of the country’s dairy needs—making dairy products the country’s third-largest agricultural import after wheat and soybean meal.
To meet the demand for this commodity, the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) has bared its Industry Strategic Science and Technology (S&T) Plans (ISP) as part of pursuing development goals for the dairy industry through science solutions in the country.
The PCAARRD ISP is aimed at increasing dairy production to meet local demand and decrease import requirements by 2020, as well as to enhance the processing efficiency of milk and other dairy products.
The Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) is playing a big role in the implementation of the plan.
PCAARRD’s strategic research and development initiative focuses on technology transfer through the promotion of genetically improved dairy buffalo; commercialization of food safety-compliant milk handling and other processing technologies; and community-based technology promotion and transfer for increased milk production.
Through S&T interventions, PCAARRD provided funding support to seven technology transfer projects across Regions 3, 4, 7 and 8 through its S&T Community-Based Farm (STCBF) and TechnoMart (TM) modalities.
These projects have a combined budget of P23.9 million, wherein 70 percent (P16.7 million) is from PCAARRD, and the rest from PCC and other stakeholders.
STCBF and TM are two important components under the Pinoy S&T Services for Farmers and Entrepreneurs Program.
These modalities are PCAARRD’s transition platform from technology demonstration to technology commercialization.
STCBF promotes wider adoption of S&T interventions to increase productivity and empower farmers in a given community.
It aims to provide a sustainable supply of raw materials in support of the TM enterprise.
Meanwhile, TM aims to fast track the movement of S&T products from source to the markets; increase product value; establish and implement business match; synchronize strategies with other sectors involved; and track the road toward the commercialization of the S&T products.
Of the seven projects included in the plan, three are already ongoing.
These are the commercialization of grass/forage corn silage for dairy buffaloes in Lupao, Nueva Ecija, through TechnoMart; community-based S&T project on the preparation and utilization of urea-treated rice straw as Fodder for dairy buffaloes; and enhancing the carabao-based dairy enterprise in Magdalena, Laguna, through TechnoMart.
PCAARRD said the results of the ongoing STCBF and TM projects will provide the basis for a more effective and efficient implementation of the ISP for dairy.