Farmers seek LGU help to boost dairy industry
LINGAYEN—Farmers here in the capital town have asked the local government unit (LGU) to sponsor a milk-feeding program in schools.
During a committee hearing at the Sangguniang Bayan (SB) on September 10, a group of farmers called the Samahan ng Maralitang Magsasaka led by Renato Navata said their proposal of seeking the intervention of the LGU will help stabilize and strengthen the dairy market in the town.
“It will be a dual-purpose milk feeding project: giving our undernourished school children better chances of succeeding and our small farmers a good start in dairying,” reads the group’s concept paper submitted to the town council. The SB has committed to further study the mechanics of the proposed project.
Councilor Judy Vargas said that apart from the milk-feeding program, the LGU might fund equipment for the processing of dairy products and establish a distribution point at the town’s central business district.
The Samahan ng Maralitang Magsasaka currently has 13 Bulgarian murrah buffaloes (BMB), all being raised in Sitio Patalan-Gubat, BarangayTumbar.
Each BMB produces an average of 10 liters of milk daily for up to 300 days.
Further, the BMBs are expected to produce offsprings beginning next month to July 2014.
“Even at low average harvest of four liters of milk per head per day, the total yield of 13 lactating buffaloes would still amount to a big volume of 364 liters per week or 1,457 liters per month,” the farmers said.
The proposal was indorsed by former Mayor Ernesto Castaneda Jr. before his demise in March this year.
Lingayen’s known cottage industries are production of bagoong (fermented fish) and bucayo. —Johanne R. Macob
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