The Negros Oriental Dairy Producers Inc. has launched the NORIENT fresh milk products with an initial capacity of 238 liters of fresh milk per hour, at the Provincial Veterinary Office compound in Dumaguete City, recently.

Deputy administrator Naomi Torreta of the National Dairy Authority said the milk processing facility was constructed with the support from the Land O’Lakes Foundation Philippines Incorporated, National Dairy Authority, and the Negros Oriental government.

Fresh milk products are from dairy cows raised by the Bacong Dairy Farmers Association, Dairy Farmers Associations of Dumaguete, Valencia Dairy Producers Association and San Antonio Community Farmers’ Cooperative.

Operations manager of Land O’ Lakes Foundation, Marilyn Mabale, said they got favorable response from school children who are their main target market for fresh milk products.

They had a total of 269 dairy cows as of June 2009. She said the dairy farmers have undergone Basic Dairy Husbandry Training conducted by the National Dairy Authority.   

The fresh milk produced has served 3,200 pre-school and elementary school children from Metro Dumaguete and Bais City, she added.

Franklin Tale, chairperson of the Bacong Dairy Farmers Association, said they have 50 heads of dairy cows that produce 500 liters of fresh milk everyday during peak season.

They are looking forward to making dairy farming a family activity in their area, he said.

Chairperson Edgar Tebio, of SACAFMULCO, said their concern is to address the malnutrition rate and help improve the livelihood of farmers.

Antonio Nodado, head of NODAPI, added they have served a total of 3,200 school children in Metro Dumaguete and Bais City under the P500,000 milk feeding program of  the province last  year.*MA

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