Governor Corazon N. Malanyaon signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) and other stakeholders for the establishment of a Carabao-Based Business Improvement Network (CBIN) in the municipality of Cateel and the City of Mati.
The MOA, signed on Wednesday, April 12, during the Provincial Agri-Fisheries Summit, aims to boost the province’s dairy carabao industry by increasing the province’s carabao population and enhancing the productivity and profitability of carabao farming.
Under the MOA, the PCC will provide post-harvest dairy equipment and distribute dairy carabao to identified farmer cooperatives. These are intended for a dairy processing project with carabao’s milk as the end product.
Coop-beneficiaries of the project are the Taytayan Irrigators and Farmers Agriculture Cooperative in the municipality of Cateel and the Kalaparan Agrarian Reform Beneficiary Association in the City of Mati.
Aside from the equipment, the PCC will also provide forage planting materials, animal dewormers, and vitamin supplements. The agency will also conduct training and provide technical assistance in caring for and managing dairy animals, milk production, collection, processing, and marketing.
Governor Malanyaon, who is aggressive in her programs to eliminate poverty and recover the province’s economy, warmly welcomed the project as this is another opportunity to develop the province’s dairy industry, which would also mean more opportunities for farmers to boost their income.
The Governor lauded the program as she underscored the importance of partnership networks in attaining sustainable development objectives of inclusive growth and poverty reduction.
Also present during the signing of the MOA were Cateel Mayor Emilou Nuñez, Coop-beneficiary Chairman Castulo Villaruz, and PCC OIC-Executive Director Dr. Caro B. Salces.
The MOA was signed in the presence of Center Director Benjamin John C. Basilio of the Philippine Carabao Center of the University of Southern Mindanao, Provincial Agriculturist Dr. Edito B. Sumile, Provincial Veterinarian Dr. Eric Dagmang, Cateel Municipal Agriculture Officer Ms. Ildefonsa Reyes, Mr. Nasrola Ibrahim of the PCC. ʙʏ ᴘɪᴏ | ᴘʜᴏᴛᴏꜱ ʙʏ ᴍᴀʀᴋ ᴏʟɪᴠᴇʀ ᴀʟᴠɪᴛᴇ
