Negros Occidental posts 16.5% hike in dairy cattle production

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — Negros Occidental has posted an increase of 16.5 percent in its dairy cattle population from January to December 2012, the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) reported.

Provincial dairy coordinator Saturnino Dayanan also reported that milk production per cattle averages 8.2 liters per day, although the Sagay Dairy Farm in Sagay City has a higher daily output of 10 liters.

Governor Alfredo Marañon, Jr., after reading the PVO report, said, “The efficiency in milk production which gives additional income to many farmers and the rise of cattle population last year are clear indicators that prospects are better for the local dairy sector.”

The governor earlier disclosed that Negros Occidental will host the National Dairy Congress and Expo (Dairycon 2013) from Feb. 7 to 9 at the Bacolod Pavillon Resort Hotel, where more than 400 industry players are expected to participate.

“The Dairycon 2013 is the right venue to show to the nation the gains of the Negros First Food Security Program of which the development of the cattle dairy industry is one of the major components,” Marañon said.

Dayanan’s year-end situationer showed that in January last year,  there were 1,072 heads of cattle as per  PVO inventory. The number rose to 1,249 dairy cattle at the close of 2012.

The active players in the provincial dairy industry are the Sagay Dairy Farm and the BuglasAgri-Ventures.

The Negros Federation of Dairy Cooperatives (NEFEDACO) comprised of 15 primary cooperatives with a total of 102 farmer-members; the LGM Agro-Farm and the local government unit-based breeding centers in Sipalay, Pontevedra, Kabankalan and La Carlota City. The Provincial Livestock Breeding Center is located at Barangay La Granja in La Carlota City.

With the average daily production of 8.2 liters of milk, a farmer earns an extra P188 a day at P23 a liter which is the NEFEDACO price, or a net of P150 per person, Dayanan said. This means that an averagely performing cow can give an additional monthly income to a farmer of P4,500, he added. (FREEMAN)