UBAY, Bohol, Philippines — Seeing the high potential of the province as a good site for cattle breeding and dairy farming, the National Dairy Authority (NDA) Visayas Field Office is positioning this province as the next multiplier zone in the Visayas.

It can be recalled that NDA has already established its first dairy multiplier farm in this town covering 660 hectares known as Ubay Stock Farm owned by the Department of Agriculture (DA).

NDA7 information officer Farina Dy bared that October last year 102 Holstein-Friesian dairy cows arrived in this town’s stock farm where interested stakeholders can purchase dairy animals at a price cheaper compared to the price of animals which are from abroad.

There are about six provinces in the Visayas that are currently establishing dairy zones in their respective areas these include Cebu, Leyte, Siquijor, Negros Occidental, Iloilo and Negros Oriental.

Dy added that they are also evaluating other applicants who want to avail of their multiplier farm program.

Meanwhile, small-scale dairy projects are also on going in the provinces of Southern Leyte, Biliran, Antique, and Capiz while the province of Aklan started with the purchase of five dairy animals through the office of Congressman Florencio Miraflores.

NDA’s multiplier farm program wants to increase the development of dairy zones in the country to raise rural economic activities, with the active trading of milk, animals and farm inputs as well as an increase in the demand for transport and milk handling services.

Dy stressed that the establishment of the said program also aims to increase the incomes of dairy farmers by providing access to technology, resources, support services and infrastructures.

She also cited that dairy farms helps improve the nutritional status of its inhabitants, as farmers are encouraged to keep milk for home consumption, encouraging members of their family to drink milk or use it for day-to-day cooking.
At the same time, neighbors are encouraged to patronize local milk produce.

Moreover, local governments units that fall under the dairy zones are encouraged to invest in the nutritional needs of children constituents through milk feeding programs.

NDA data showed that January to May 2011, the Multiplier Farm has sold 17,721 liters of milk to Cebu Federation of Dairy Cooperatives, the Association of Dairy Farmers of Tubigon, Bohol and the Cantubod Association for the Rehabilitation of the Environment (CARE) also in Danao, Bohol.