Mindanaotoday.com | Misamis Oriental dairy farmers’ income seen to improve with new equipment, facilities
By: Franck Dick Rosete
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The annual income of the dairy farmers in Misamis Oriental is seen to improve after the Department of Agriculture-10 (DA-10) turned over the Dairy Milk Processing and Marketing Enterprise project to the Northern Mindanao Federation of Dairy Cooperatives (NMFDC) Tuesday, March 21.
Carlene Collado, DA-10 regional executive director, said the project aims to increase the annual income of the farmers by at least 26 percent, from P71,304 to P90,182.
“It also increases the production volume of processed milk and its by-products from 839,044 to 1,205,587.89 liters,” said Collado in a press conference at a resort here Tuesday.
The turnover ceremony was conducted in El Salvador City, Misamis Oriental, and was graced by Domingo Panganiban, agriculture senior undersecretary.
The over P22 million project will provide upgraded equipment and transport facilities, which will produce processed bottled fresh ad flavoured milk and milk bars with an extended shelf life of up to 30 days, compared to the current production with a shelf life of 7-9 days only.
In the said project, it has an ESL (Extended Shelf Life) Pasteurizer Set with Homogenizer, Standby Generator Set, Air Compressor and Refrigerated Van.
The Dairy Milk Processing and Marketing Enterprise is now owned by NMFDC and will be managed by it.
The federation has 10 primary cooperative members in Misamis Oriental and has its own brand name, widely known as “Highland Fresh Dairy Products.”
The turnover of the 400 metric tons or 10,000 bags of 40 kilograms of milled rice donated by the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs was also conducted in El Salvador.
Collado said the 10,000 bags of rice have been given to the affected families of flooding and landslides in the regions of 9, 10 and 11. (MT)
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