DA agency grants loan to produce dairy products for students in Palawan

The Department of Agriculture (DA), through one of its attached agencies, has granted a loan to a farm destination in Palawan to help produce dairy products for school children, especially those in public schools.

Through a public-private partnership scheme," the DA's Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) provided Yamang Bukid Farm with Murrah buffaloes - an imported and high-quality breed of carabao - that will be used as source for milk and other dairy products to be distributed to students in the locality.

“This is part of our carabao enterprise development wherein we help cooperatives, individual farmers (and) families by lending them the carabaos like a soft loan. Beneficiaries like Yamang Bukid Farm repay it with another carabao which will be given to (another beneficiary),” Dr. Arnel del Barrio, PCC executive director, said.

Ten female buffaloes (technically known as cows) and a bull were given to Yamang Bukid Farm and were promptly shipped from the PCC's headquarters in Nueva Ecija. While at sea, one of the four pregnant buffaloes gave birth to a healthy female calf.

The animals were housed in a concrete barn pn a hill overlooking the sprawling sustainable farm at Barangay Bacungan in Puerto Princesa.

The farm - accredited by the Agricultural Training Center - employs 300 people, most of whom were former illegal loggers and charcoal-makers who have since become farmworkers.

Some of these workers were specifically trained to take care of the imported water buffaloes and handle milk production.

“The bottomline is to help alleviate poverty and give good nutrition to the schoolchildren,” the Del Barrio said.

The PCC is an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture established in Muñoz, Nueva Ecija in 1992 to breed and cross carabao based on high-yield Murrah buffalo in the Philippines. -MDM, GMA News