TACLOBAN CITY – Carabao owners and prospective beneficiaries in Borongan City are being prepared to take part in a government program aimed at increasing the local carabao population and improving milk and meat production.
The Department of Agriculture-Philippine Carabao Center (DA-PCC), through the Philippine Carabao Center-Visayas State University (PCC-VSU), conducted a two-day Social Preparation and Carabao Management Training for local carabao owners on Sept. 24 and 25.
Held at the ABC Multi-Purpose Hall in Barangay Campesao, the training brought together carabao owners, beneficiaries of artificial insemination (AI) services and members of the Borongan Carabao Association.
PCC personnel Jimmy Espina Jr., science specialist II, and Ric Posas, assistant AI coordinator, served as resource speakers. They discussed social preparation, management of pregnant animals and calving, record keeping, feeds and feeding, and breeding and reproduction.
The social preparation component was designed to orient participants on their roles and responsibilities as beneficiaries of the Carabao Herd Build-up (CHB) Project and strengthen their commitment to the proper care and management of animals to be distributed under the program.
The carabao management component provided participants with practical knowledge on feeding, health management, breeding and general animal care.
The activity was conducted in partnership with the Borongan City Government through the City Agriculturist’s Office-Livestock and Poultry Section and the Borongan Carabao Raisers Association.
It followed the project orientation conducted for the association on June 22 as part of the implementation of the CHB Project in the city.
The CHB Project is a nationwide initiative of the DA-PCC that seeks to increase the country’s carabao population while supporting local milk and meat production.
The program also promotes the genetic improvement of dairy buffaloes through artificial insemination and backcrossing using high-grade Riverine dairy semen to improve milk production.
Under the program, dairy carabaos are entrusted to qualified farmers’ cooperatives, associations and individual beneficiaries, or “carapreneurs,” to help establish and develop community-level enterprises.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
