Government asked to help save Ilocos carabao industry

DAGUPAN CITY, Philippines – The director of the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) in the Ilocos Region is asking the government to fund the agency’s buy-back scheme in order to save the depleted carabao population.

Gloria dela Cruz, PCC regional director based in Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University in La Union, said the situation is alarming, noting the carabaos may face extinction.

Dela Cruz said most carabaos raised by farmers often end up slaughtered, due to lack of funds for the buy-back scheme.

She said the breeders were compelled to sell the animals because the PCC has no funds to buy them.

The official is seeking help from other government agencies and local government units to prevent the sale or slaughter of the carabaos.

She said she has asked the government to focus not only on infrastructure projects but to also help farmers find other sources of income.

Dela Cruz said the government should assist farmers in raising lactating carabaos and find a market for the milk that the animals produce.

She said the livelihood could provide farmers an additional income of P70,000 per lactating carabao within the 300-day milking period.

Dela Cruz lamented that Pangasinan, which registers the highest carabao population in the region, has yet to develop its program on carabao-raising.