In support to the continued updating of Provincial Commodity Investment Plan (PCIP), the Provincial Project Management and Implementing Unit (PPMIU) of Nueva Ecija led by Dr. Jovita Agliam, PRDP focal person in the province, assisted by the I-PLAN Component of RPCO3 held a Stakeholders’ Consultation for their investment plan on carabao and carabao-based products on February 15, 2019 in the Regional Crop Protection Center (RCPC), Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija.

Carabao farmers, carabao dairy processors, farmer cooperatives, municipal agriculturist of top producing municipalities, DA attached agencies such as PCC, BAI, PhilMech, NMIS, other concerned government agencies like DTI and DAR, LBP, DA-RFO 03, PRDP-PSO IPLAN component, PRDP-RPCO 3 technical staff attended the said activity.

Cristina P. Ellana, planning officer of the office of the provincial agriculturist, presented their investment plan for carabao and carabao-based products. An ambitious goal “To be the dairy buffalo capital of the Philippines” through (1) increasing the number of dairy carabao in the province by 10% annually, (2) increasing the volume of milk produced by 10% annually, and (3) to establish additional milk-based processing centers in the province, created noise from the audience.

In addition to this, Nueva Ecija also aims to establish a Centerpiece Project called the Dairy Farm Ecotourism project. This is in accordance to RA 10816, known as the Farm Tourism Act Development Act of 2016 which aims to attract tourists to farm destinations. With the proposed project, facilities and activities such as leisure park, organic farm using carabao manure, pasalubong center for carabao based-products, training and facilities equipment, silage production and biogas digester projects will take place.

After the presentation of the investment plan, the attendees were given a chance to give inputs and comments for its improvement. Major issues raised and agreements were accreditation of slaughterhouse by NMIS to follow good sanitary handling practices when push the carabao meat industry, issuance of provincial resolution to restrict the movement of productive carabao outside the province, provision of bailing machine to collect rice hull, and a final decision to focus on the carabao milk based industry first before the carabao meat industry.

In the end, Dr. Agliam expressed her gratitude to the group and hoped that in the near future their goal to be the “Dairy Buffalo Capital of the Philippines” will be achieved through the combined efforts of the DA-PRDP, DA Region and its attached agencies, other national government agencies, LGUs, farmer-beneficiaries, processors, and other private entities. (Kayla Lingad, RPCO3 InfoACE and Lordelyn S. Dela Cruz, RPCO3 I-PLAN)