Yesterday, 39 heads of some of the best dairy goat breeds arrived in my farm, the first of three batches coming from Oregon, USA.
It was a shipment of 40 heads originally contained in a huge wooden crate complete with feeds and water but one of the does died during the 5-day journey from the US to the Philippines.
The goats were acquired by a friend who would like to support the dairy industry of Mindanao as his way of helping me in my programs.
Since he does not have a deep knowledge of dairy goat farming, he asked me to breed the goats for him.
The dairy goats which arrived yesterday were my personal selection of breeds based on my experience – LaManchas and Anglo Nubians – all the farm of my friend, James Clem, Jr. of Klamath Falls City in Oregon.
The breeding of dairy goats is part of my preparation for the massive production of the Mindanao Ube Jam which uses Ube, Honey and Goat’s Milk as main ingredients.
While Ube could be easily produced by farmers, the supp[y of Honey and Goat’s Milk need to be assured.
Having our own Dairy Goat Farm will ensure sufficient supply of Goat’s Milk in addition to the volume that we will be getting from Mt. Carmel Baptist Rural Life Center which also raises dairy goats given by the Department of Agriculture when I was the Secretary.
With a ready market for our milk, raising dairy goats will prove to be a profitable undertaking.
The marketing of locally produced milk is actually one of the problems which stunt the growth of the local dairy industry.
Our dairy farmers have the capacity to produce milk but without a program to absorb their production, they will not survive in a competition with the multi-national milk companies.
The answer to this is a National Milk Feeding Program sponsored by government which would provide a glass of milk to all kindergarten and elementary pupils both in the public and private schools all over the country.
There were proposals and moves to implement this but the incoherent policies of government in this area stumped all initiatives.
This is a task which could be handled by an expanded and empowered National Nutrition Council, an agency of government under the Department of Health which is more known for its catchy slogans like “Sana Tall, Sama All,” rather than real working programs.
With a budget of less than P500-M, the NNC obviously could not do this.
Meanwhile, huge funds for feeding programs are lodged with the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Department of Education, both ill-manned to handle a national nutrition program.
This is a policy issue which has hardly been given serious attention by our decision makers and legislators.
A National Milk Feeding Program will yield the following benefits:
1. A nation of healthy children;
2. A vibrant local dairy industry;
3. An agro-industrial activity whose benefits will cascade to other sectors producing materials needed for the feeding of dairy animals.
Unless our policy makers and legislators realize that the local dairy farmers need support by providing them with a ready market, our dairy industry will forever remain in the doldrums producing less than 10% of the national requirements.
No amount of castigation, insults and public shaming of officials involved in the dairy industry could improve the country’s milk production.
What is needed is pure and simple common sense!
#GovernanceIsCommonSense!
#StepOutOfYourComfortZones!
#TouchGroundFeelThePulse!
(This video footage of the dairy goats were taken yesterday after they arrived in my farm after a 3-day land trip from Manila courtesy of the cargo trucks of my friend, Roberto “Jun” Alba of M’lang and Nueva Ecija.)
https://fb.watch/aP47Don1JV/
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