MindanaoToday.com | NDA-10 ensures local fresh milk, dairy products safe for consumers
By: Jasper Marie O. Rucat
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The National Dairy Authority (NDA)-10 maintains quality assurance in dairy farms and milk processing plants here to ensure that local fresh milk and dairy products are clean and safe to consume.
By implementing Republic Act 10611, otherwise known as the Food Safety Act 2013, and dairy safety regulations, Debbie U. de San Miguel, assistant department manager of NDA-10, said, “Kaning mga farmers tagaan pud namo og license to operate (We will also give these farmers a license to operate).”
NDA-10 is present in all of the dairy farm’s processes.
“We check if milk production is good, how farmers raise their cows, if they follow the right way, once they can accomplish that, then monitoring will commence from production to milk collection to processing of their products, so we can ensure the safety of our consumers as well,” de San Miguel said.
There are around 210 dairy farmers in Region 10, of which 114 are cooperatives, three are schools, two are state universities, and one is a private school.
Demand for milk
In the past, there was only one milk processing center, but over time and many years, it mushroomed into 17 milk processing plants, capable of producing fresh milk, flavored milk, butter, and other products.
Out of 17 of these plants, 12 are in Region 10. These include Highland Fresh in El Salvador City and a goat’s milk processing plant in Lumbia, Cagayan de Oro City.
In order to instill in Filipino culture the belief that dairy products are equally competitive with those from outside the country, NDA-10 promotes local products.
“For the fresh milk produced by our local farmer, they are days old. Good micro bacteria in milk are still alive, which means the nutritive quality is retained, as certified by the NDA and other attached agencies, and indeed the milk is of quality,” de San Miguel shared.
Various agencies, such as DOST, are assisting the NDA with its mechanization processing program. They also allow farmers to avail themselves of loans and grants.
Because dairy animals are grass-fed, the NDA also guarantees that most cows or dairy products are organic. “Amo man gina-promote sa farmers to plant grasses so we could be ensured nga mao ra gyud ilang pagkaon,” she said.
(The same is being promoted by farmers to plant grasses, so we could be sure that this is their food.)
Furthermore, the NDA can guarantee the animals’ health through their regular health program. Among other tests, they undergo tuberculosis, leptospirosis, and blood testing.
According to de San Miguel, cow prices are competitive, ranging from P70,000 to P90,000 in the past to P120,000 to P130,000 now, depending on the cow’s health condition.
“Among gipataas ang price to urge farmers to take care of their animals because they are valuable. Kung mupalit ta ana sa gawas, mahal kaayo kinsa man ang nadato, mga farmers sa gawas. But if they take care of the animal, they can earn from the animals, they can earn from the milk, they can even earn from the manure,” she said.
(We raised the price to urge farmers to take care of their animals because they are valuable. If we buy it from outside, it is very expensive, and whoever gets rich gets farmers outside. But if they take care of the animals, they can earn from the animals; they can earn from the milk; they can even earn from the manure.)
As to responding to climate change, NDA-10 has provided assistance to dairy farmers through climate adaptation project assistance.
“Naay farmers naka avail og solar powered loan, isa to run the water facilities sa farm, ang tulo ani for the electrical requirements sa farm, so almost P1 million,” de San Miguel said.
(There are farmers who have availed of a solar-powered loan, one to run the water facilities on the farm and the other three for the electrical requirements on the farm, for almost P1 million.)
The challenge lies in consistently feeding the animals despite weather fluctuations, a task that requires significant time, commitment, and attention to succeed in the dairy farming business. “After only minutes or one hour of delay in feeding, it takes three weeks to recover the milk production of cows,” Debbie said.
There should be love for animals first, Debbie said, when trying to start a dairy farm. “You must be an animal lover,” she said.
Further, she urged farmers to start with dairy, then go on with dairy, and “you earn a lot,” she said. (JMOR/PIA-10)
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