The Department of Agriculture’s Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) in South Luzon approved four enterprise development (I-REAP) subprojects worth P54.51 million in support to the dairy industry of three provinces in CALABARZON Region.

An P8.4 million-worth research and technical assistance project to be jointly funded by the PRDP’s local and national level planning (I-PLAN) component and the National Dairy Authority (NDA) has also been approved by the World Bank.

The said PRDP subprojects are in line with the DA’s thrust towards the implementation of the national livestock and dairy development program. According to DA Secretary Emmanuel Piñol, the program aims to double the country’s cattle population, increase the milk production by at least nine percent of the national requirement, and strengthen the backyard hog industry.

Dairy milk is among the priority commodities of CALABARZON, which is one of the country’s top five cattle-producing regions. Interventions to develop the dairy milk commodity value chain, or the process and activities that add value to the product, have been identified in the Provincial Commodity Investment Plans (PCIPs) of Batangas, Laguna, and Quezon.

Dairy enterprise subprojects

The P21.63 million-worth “Batangas Dairy Cattle Production” subproject of the Batangas Dairy and Multi-Purpose Cooperative (BADACO) and the Batangas Provincial Local Government Unit (PLGU) will address the need for investment assistance to dairy farmers by establishing a socialized credit facility. Through the I-REAP subproject, the cooperative’s milking parlor will be upgraded. A silo for its silage production will also be constructed.

The Tanauan City LGU partnered with the Samahan ng Maggagatas ng Batangas Dairy Cooperative (SAMABACO) for the P11.92 million-worth “Tanauan City Dairy Enterprise” subproject. This enterprise targets the input supply segment of the value chain by expanding its dairy production. SAMABACO will establish a communal farm that will improve the number of stock and the supply and quality of milk.

Aiming to provide additional livelihood to dairy farmers and resolve the difficulty in sourcing feeding materials, the PLGU of Laguna and the Katipunan ng mga Kooperatibang Maggagatas Integrated Cooperative (KKMI) proposed the “Corn Silage Processing for Dairy Industry of Laguna” subproject worth P5.96 million.

To address constraints in the input supply, post-harvest, and processing segments of the dairy milk value chain, the “Establishment of Dairy Multiplier Farm” subproject will be implemented by the Palcon Dairy Multi-Purpose Cooperative and the Quezon PLGU in partnership with the PRDP.

Through this P15 million-worth enterprise, the cooperative will import 50 dairy animals, improve unproductive farm land into a forage area, acquire planting materials, establish a techno-demo farm, and procure three milking machines, 50 mastitis test kits, and other production support supply. 

Research subproject on the dairy industry

The World Bank-approved research subproject of the PRDP South Luzon with the NDA is among the first subprojects to be implemented under the I-PLAN subcomponent called the Support to the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Plan (AFMP) Implementation.

Entitled “Pilot Implementation of a Decision Support System for Philippine Milk Producers,” the subproject involves training of field personnel and farmers, establishment of dairy animal identification system, conduct of milk tests, and data management and analysis.

The study aims to strengthen the NDA extension services and improve herd management, milk production, and profitability by identifying the lactation curve of imported dairy cattle and their offspring. The findings of the subproject, which will be implemented in nine pilot farms in CALABARZON, will serve as basis for the importation of dairy animals, animal genetic enhancement, and improvement of the dairy farming and pricing system.

The South Luzon Cluster has also endorsed research proposals of State Universities and Colleges on the development of the mangrove crab, pili, and calamansi value chains in the regions of MIMAROPA and Bicol.

Subproject identification

The PRDP uses science-based tools such as the Value Chain Analysis (VCA), Vulnerability and Suitability Assessment (VSA), and expanded VSA (eVSA) that involve agro-climatic, socio-economic, and geographic data to facilitate strategic planning.

These tools, which are also used in the preparation of PCIPs, ensure that identified subprojects or interventions are viable for investment and will become sustainable in the long run.

With the funding support of the World Bank, the PRDP is a special project of the DA that aims to establish a modern, inclusive, value chain-oriented, and climate-smart agriculture and fisheries sector. ### (Gumamela Celes Bejarin, DA-PRDP South Luzon PSO InfoACE Unit)