THE National Dairy Authority (NDA) and Central Philippines State University (CPSU) will develop a 50-hectare dairy stock farm and feed center in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, with the capacity to produce about 640,000 liters of milk annually.
The project is expected to support milk production, dairy animal development, genetic improvement, research, farmer education, and technology adoption in Negros Occidental and the wider island region.
The facility, located in Barangay Camingawan, would be used for breeding, raising, rehabilitating, and managing dairy animals, the Department of Agriculture said on Wednesday.
Designed to accommodate 150 dairy cows, the farm is expected to produce about 75 heifers (young female cows) per cycle. It will also serve as a training and research center for students, dairy farmers, industry stakeholders, and local communities.
Under a memorandum of agreement and deed of usufruct, CPSU granted the NDA the right to use the property for an initial 25 years, renewable for another 25 years as long as it continues to serve its intended purpose. CPSU will retain ownership of the land.
“This partnership gives us an opportunity to build not only a productive dairy facility, but also a center where knowledge, technology, research and actual dairy farming converge,” NDA Administrator Marcus Andaya said.
The project will include cattle sheds, a milking parlor, a silage bunker, quarantine areas, feed storage facilities, fences, and waste management systems.
It will also have utilities, forage areas, alternative energy sources, and research facilities supporting genetic improvement, breeding performance, and farm management.
The NDA and CPSU plan to promote the facility as a model for academic instruction, research and extension services. It will provide venues for farmer training, technology demonstrations, and education on dairy operations.
Andaya said the partnership would strengthen the local dairy value chain while creating opportunities for students, farmers and communities. It also supports the NDA’s long-term goal of establishing a stock farm in every region to raise dairy productivity.
NDA data showed that the Negros Island Region produced 1.12 million liters of milk in the first half of the year, accounting for 4.43 percent of national production. Output rose 8.11 percent from 1.04 million liters a year earlier.