THE Provincial Livestock Breeding Center and Dairy Farm (PLBCDF) operated by the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) of Negros Occidental was awarded as one of the outstanding dairy farms in the country during the Gawad Dairy Awards 2019 of the National Dairy Authority (NDA) at the Agricultural Training Institute in Quezon City Thursday, May 30.
Located at Barangay La Granja in La Carlota City, PLBCDF is the only government-owned and operated farm to be cited nationwide.
There are 10 recipients in the country this year. It is the only awardee from the Visayas.
The award was received by Provincial Veterinarian Renante Decena, Farm Management Division Dr. Placeda Lemana, and PLBCDF Manager Joselito Jaballa.
Established by the provincial government in 2001, the facility is positioned to produce fresh milk for pre and grade school children as well as breeder animals for component local government units (LGUs) in the province thereby improving the health of the public.
Decena, in a statement said, the project is also aimed at encouraging Negrenses to shift to milk from other beverages.
“This is by introducing fresh milk taste to school children and transfer dairy and breeding technology to the backyard level as a source of additional income,” he said, adding that the latter creates livelihood opportunities through processing of value added dairy products and livestock dispersal.
The farm cattle dairy production at PLBCDF includes fresh milk and yogurt in variant flavors like chocolate, ube, buko pandan, strawberry, and mango.
Its average dairy milk production is 100 liters a day with 16 heads of cow on the milking line.
Decena said the dairy farm was then one of the pilot projects of the late Governor Joseph Marañon in support to his seven-point agenda for food sufficiency and poverty alleviation.
The initiative has been continued and even expanded by the province under the present governor Alfredo Marañon Jr., he added.