Bohol dairy, decade later

Local milk production

peaked at 420K liters

TALIBON, Bohol (PIA)—Celebrating Bohol dairy’s first decade with raw milk production peaking at 420,000 liters in one year and translating to P25.6 million of additional income for Bohol farmers, Bohol Dairy Development Council (BDDC) aims at a much bigger production with the continued support and partnerships with the Bohol, dairy farmers and the national partner agencies.

Romulo Garcia, Office of the Provincial Veterinarian (OPV) dairy program coordinator bared this during the 10th Bohol Dairy festival held inside the President Carlos P. Garcia Multi purpose Center, August 26.

Speaking before dairy farmers from Bohol’s two dairy production zones of 25 towns; 11 of them already into milk production, Garcia reminded dairy farmer representatives of dairy producing towns, that the dream of becoming the dairy capital of the Visayas: progressive, competitive and sustainable with empowered people is moving in the right direction.

With the program tethered at the OPV, from an industry that traditionally peaked at occasional cheese making for the Christmas holidays, the dairy industry here has consistently increased its production to 820,000 liters since the program adoption ten years ago, according to National Dairy Authority (NDA) operations manager Rowena Bautista, in her message.

With the country’s dairy production at 25.8 million liters, Bohol’s contribution forms the 3.23 % of the nation’s production, she added.

Becoming Central Visayas’ dairy capital dream is a burden of about 600 farmers and about 1,000 heads of dairy carabao at the Philippine Carabao Center and its farmer adopters, 200 milking cattle with the National Dairy Authority and farmer associations and another 200 more goats under the NDA goat dispersal program through the Bohol Goat Raisers Association, the council has continued to prop up the dairy herd build-up, Garcia showed on a electronic presentation.

Garcia also bared that they would continue the upgrading of breeds through artificial insemination.

The program officer also cited the increasing raw milk production with about 600 farmer program adoptors, especially with goat milk production which is now at 2,500 to 3,000 liters per month.

In some industries where production and marketing seldom match, Bohol’s dairy program keeps a consistent government feeding programs.

The Department of Education (DepED) Milk Feeding Program for severely wasted, stunted and severely stunted kindergarten to Grade 3 paid P25,753,035 for school year 2024-2025 which benefitted some 22,297 kids.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development Milk Feeding Program for120 to 180 days for 2 to 5 years old kids paid P22,259,640 by feeding 9,655 kids in 2024 and some P14,417,040 for 5,461 kids in 2025, according to the OPV.

Garcia also bared that these developments have grossed for Bohol Dairy Cooperative (BODACO) some P80 to P90 million a year.

Beyond all these, Bohol Governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado, who is convinced that dairy is a viable source of additional income to livestock farmers with the same effort every day urged Boholanos to continue the initiative.

Let us spread dairy production province-wide, and increase the number of farmers and organizations benefiting from the industry. We urge the youth to get into dairy farming and production, as we train young professionals so they can guide the local industry to a more sustainable and stronger future for Bohol, he said.

While rallying for the support of Boholano farmers, he italicized the need for unwavering national government support in financial and projects implementation aimed at maximizing the local dairy industry’s potential as an economic driver. (PIAbohol)

GULP FOR HEALTH, PROSPERITY. Tipping milk bottles, local officials led by Department of Agriculture Assistant Secretary Benjamin Albarace, Bohol Governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado and National Dairy Authority Operations Officer Rowena Bautista, in separate messages, rallied Boholano dairy farmers to convince more to rethink about the promise of dairy farming, which is now starting to plow open solutions for malnutrition and additional income simultaneously. This was during the 10th Dairy Festival in Talibon, August 26-27. (PIAbohol)