Farmers fearing rice imports told: Milk your carabaos

ALTERNATIVE INCOME Farmers are being encouraged to try their hands on carabao dairying, which would make the tough farm animals, shown here treading a road in a town in Isabela province, a source of income to replace earnings that would be lost through rice import liberalization. —VILLAMOR VISAYA JR.

SCIENCE CITY OF MUÑOZ — With farmers worrying about a possible drop in income due to rice import liberalization, an official of the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) here asked them to try their hands on carabao dairying to earn extra money.

Dr. Arnel del Barrio, PCC executive director, said carabao dairying could be done right at the farmers’ backyard or in some areas of their farms.

“In due time, the tended animals can give a daily income for 10 months because of the milk yield,” Del Barrio said.

He said farmers may set aside certain areas to grow corn and sorghum plants for silage-making for carabao feed, which is now in great demand.

Greener pasture

“We have farmers and entrepreneurs who made good in carabao dairying and in silage-making,” he said.

Melchor Correa, 47, of San Jose City, made huge profits in carabao dairying alongside rice farming.

He built a herd of 30 dairy carabaos. His average daily milk yield in 2017 was 57 liters, which he sold for P54 each liter, or P3,028.

Carabao dairying has also improved the life of Henry Orbino and his family in Iloilo. Orbino’s wife used to work as a domestic helper in Dubai while their four children were left in the care of their relatives.

After hearing about carabao dairying in West Visayas State University, Orbino tried it out and started with three dairy carabaos.

Good examples

Orbino said his herd grew in number and his profit increased, allowing him to send their children to college and his wife to return from abroad to help him in the business.

“We have many other examples of simple farmers whose lives have improved because of carabao dairying. Many of them are getting income bigger than what they were earning from rice farming,” Del Barrio said.

He said the market for carabao’s milk is growing bigger as many establishments were making milk-based products.

“It’s a very lucrative enterprise now,” Del Barrio said. “A chemist, who used to work in a big company in Clark Freeport, proved that there is high demand for silage and the income is very, very good.”