The National Dairy Congress will be held at the Bacolod Pavillon Resort Hotel in Bacolod City February 7 to 9 next year, where Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. will be honored for his support for the dairy industry in Negros Occidental.

Provincial Veterinarian Renante Decena, Juan Lozano, president of the Dairy   Confederation of the Philippines, Benjamin Monton, chairman of the Negros Federation of Dairy Cooperatives, and other officers of the group, met with the governor at the Provincial Capitol in Bacolod yesterday to discuss the congress.

Invited to the affair are Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala and embassy officials from Australia, New Zealand, Israel and the United States who have been helping propel the dairy industry in the Philippines.

About 500 dairy farmers from around the country are expected at the congress, Decena said.

Marañon said the congress will open new markets for Negros dairy producers, aside from updating their skills on dairy production.

It is aimed at helping improve the skills, management style and marketing efforts of dairy farmers, Decena said

He noted that some dairy workers trained in the Negros Occidental provincial government dairy farms are now working in New Zealand.

The Negros dairy producers are planning to sign an agreement with the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Negros Occidental for the sale of their milk and milk products in the province, Decena said.

Monton said the Negros Federation of Dairy Cooperatives sells some of its milk to McDonalds, and to local governments for their feeding programs.

Edison Abarquez, vice chairman of the Negros Federation of Dairy Cooperatives, said farmers with cows producing milk have been able to earn extra income for their children's school expenses and to uplift their lives.*CPG

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