DAILY DAIRY. Sen. Cynthia Villar and Bohol Governor-elect Arthur Yap together with local officials celebrate with the kids duirng the launching of the school-based milk feeding program for underweight kids in school. Feeding the kids right can mean much for their future, said Villar, while dairy production can alo mean daily income. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

LOMANGOG, Ubay, Bohol, Nov. 28 (PIA) -- Senate Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries Chairperson Sen. Cynthia Villar wants Bohol to be like Thailand, producing its own milk and leading the way in showing the country how milk industry can sustain its people while taking care of its kids' nutrition.

Speaking to over a thousand dairy farmers from Ubay and nearby towns adopting the livestock for dairy programs of the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) and the National Dairy Authority (NDA), Villar told the farmers gathered for the 5th Milk Festival at the PCC Farmers' Trading Post that Thailand was able to feed its six million kids 200 milliliters of milk daily by developing its milk production and responding to its malnutrition issues.

As a form of Conditional Cash Transfer to its indigent families, the Thai government, according to Villar, pays for the milk feeding program, sourcing out its milk from its local dairy industry.

The senator came here and witnessed the launching of Bohol's School-based Milk Feeding Program, in response to reported malnutrition of school children in several towns in Bohol.

After the NDA and the PCC located inside the Ubay Stock Farm started its dairy production from its cattle and carabaos, Bohol farmers started adopting dairy production as an alternative source of income.

Every day, a native cow and buffalo can produce over a liter of milk, while a crossbreed and purebreed can produce over two liters of milk, which can be sold for P50 per liter, shared Guillerma Abayabay of the PCC.

Villar, who earlier talked to farmers, said she met a housewife in Bohol who also tends to milking animals and earns P600 a day.

More than that, having six calves can fetch to thousands of pesos, PCC employees shared.

BOHOL LIKENED TO THAILAND. Make Bohol self-sufficient in milk and it will help shape up the minds of poor kids, said Sen. Cynthia Villar (standing) in her recent visit to Bohol. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

As the PCC and NDA dispersed their heifers and as farm technicians diligently performed house calls for artificial insemination, the daily milk production in Bohol climbed to 200 liters and still growing, reported Leniefe Libres-Aton, PCC information officer.

As the additional daily income testimonies grew, Bohol dairy authorities begin to be concerned: without a sustainable demand for milk, the chances of spoilage runs high.

When the NDA and the PCC put up mini-processing centers, Bohol saw the entry of locally-made cheese, mozarella, and yoghurt in the local markets.

While in several dairy processing areas, the dairy nutrient content is reduced to about 5 percent to stretch the volume, Bohol uses the full 25 percent in its milk products, boasting of its full milk nutritional value.

And as the Provincial Nutrition Council and the Department of Education keeps track of its learners' nutritional status, the option to do milk supplemental feeding was a logical option, said Nutrition Officer Juliet Manliguez.

Test marketing with milk bars, the nutrition authorities saw schools adopting the supplementation feeding program and helping Bohol Dairy Cooperative sell their milk products.

As schools started accepting dairy products in canteens, the demand also grew and more and more Boholano farmers got interested.

This time, to get things sustained, Bohol authorities put up the Bohol Integrated Community-based Dairy Farming, one which is a livestock dispersal program that allows poor farmers the chance to earn more from the milk.

Villar also witnessed the launching of the same program on the same day.

Elated by the development, Villar told the media the huge advantage in Bohol's milk feeding and community-based Dairy farming program.

Villar said nourished children will have a better chance of moving up in life while dairy farming increases income and pushes farmers up for a better chance in life. (rahc/pia7/Bohol)