A total of 119 Anglo-Nubian dairy goats were distributed to 18 farmer-beneficiaries in the provinces of Batangas and Oriental Mindoro to provide additional sources of income and opportunity for long-term investment.
Almer Abe, president of the Guinhawa Farmers Association, expressed his gratitude to the National Dairy Authority for the Dairy Goat Establishment Program, and to Senator Cynthia Villar who supported the program.
“Napakasaya dahil isa kami sa mga nabiyayaan ng mga kambing. Malaking tulong ito hindi lamang sa aming kooperatiba kung hindi pati na rin sa buong komunidad. Maraming makikinabang sa mga dairy goat lalo na kapag gatasan na (I am so happy for being one of the beneficiaries of these goats. This is a great help not only to our cooperative but also to the whole community. Many will benefit from these dairy goats especially when they start producing milk),” he said.
Abe, who shared that he is a breeder of native animals, said he will use the dairy goats he received to improve his farm as he ventures into dairy.
He also believes that as soon as the other residents in their barangay see the fruits of the project, they will be encouraged to join the program.
“Ang plano ko ay umpisahan ang pagdedairy sa aming barangay, mahirap sa umpisa pero naniniwala ako na kapag nakita ng mga kabaranggay ko na umuunlad ang dairy sa aming kooperatiba ay mae-engganyo sila at sasali na rin. Gusto ko makilala ang aming bayan sa aming mga produktong dairy (I want to kick start dairy production in our barangay, it is hard at first but I believe that when people see that it is profitable, they will be enticed to join us. I want our town to be known for its dairy products,” he shared.
The farmer-beneficiaries are members of the various organizations that include Samahan ng mga Magsasaka sa Kanayunan at Patubig (SAMAKAPA) in Balayan, Batangas; Guinhawa Farmers Association (GFA) and Lobo Irrigators Services Association (LISA) in Tuy town, Batangas; and Bagorra Farmers Agriculture Cooperative (BAFARCO) in Oriental Mindoro. (PNA)
