By
Leilanie G. Adriano
Staff reporter
Laoag City—The Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) is set to release at
least 42 dairy buffaloes to 13 pre-selected farmer-trustees in various towns of
Ilocos Norte.
Grace
Marjorie Recta, PCC regional center director said the buffaloes are part of the
1,252 Italian Mediterranean dairy buffaloes that PCC imported from Italy in
November last year.
They
were selected from two dairy buffalo associations in the central and northern
part of Italy, namely, the Associazione Esportatori Di Bestiame (AEBO) and
Associazione Nazionale Allevatori Specie Bufalina (ANASB).
Twenty-two
are bulls while the rest are heifers.
The
herd arrived in the country in November and underwent the mandatory quarantine
at PCC’s quarantine area at Lomboy, San Jose City in Nueva Ecija starting
November 11 in compliance with existing animal health regulations.
The
Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) lifted the quarantine on January 24, paving the way for the
release of the animals.
In
Ilocos Norte, the recipients are qualified small-hold farmers who are members
of cooperatives and associations organized by the agency in 2009 and 2010.
Prior
to the distribution on November 20 at Brgy. San Mateo in Batac City, the
farmer-trustees attended trainings and have complied with their required
counterparts needed in carabao production, such as animal sheds, forage areas
and guarantee fund.
“Each
trustee can avail of 2-5 heads because it would be unprofitable if they only
have one,” Ms. Recta said.
The
13 recipients for the Italian dairy buffaloes are from Batac City and the towns
of Dingras, Marcos, San Nicolas and Solsona.
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