Iloilo Dairy Fresh Milk processing plant inaugurated

Tigbauan , Iloilo – The Iloilo Dairy Fresh Milk processing plant was inaugurated lately at the Cordova Norte Elementary School , in Brgy . Cordova Norte, about 10 kilometers away from the poblacion .

This newly inaugurated plant is only temporary as Gov. Niel D. Tupas , Sr. has allocated the amount of P2.5 million for the processing plant that will soon be constructed in front of Tigbauan National High School .

The inauguration and blessings of the plant were graced by the presence of Gov. Tupas , Department of Trade and Industry Provincial Director Diosdado Cadena , Provincial Administrator Manuel Mejorada , Tigbauan Acting Mayor Agaton Tomabotabo , Provincial Agriculturist Inocencio Parian , officers of Iloilo Federation Dairy Cooperative and local officials of the barangay .

Cadena lauded this project of the provincial government as a catalyst in countering the malnutrition problem among school children in the province and would serve as a source of livelihood to augment the income of dairy farmers.

He committed the DTI would help the province in marketing the dairy products and in developing the label and packaging.

Joey Loyola said the National Dairy Authority is committed to support this project to enhance the dairy industry of the province.

He said this year, another batch of pregnant Heifers will be delivered in Iloilo for the province to meet the required 300 dairy cattle in order to be considered a dairy zone.

It can be recalled that on January of this year, 118 cattle, which were given to farmer-beneficiaries, have already given birth.

Once the dairy project is well-established , it is projected that some 10,000 children aged 2-6 years old will benefit from future milk-feeding projects in Iloilo and other areas within Panay Island .

The Cordova Norte Elementary School is now on its second week of its milk-feeding program for its pupils.

The demand for fresh milk is expected to increase with the flourishing of coffee shop entrepreneurs as well as restaurateurs and other individuals whose tastes in milk quality are getting discriminative.

It was on February 12 of last year that the 1 st Iloilo Dairy Cattle Program was launched in Brgy . Anonang , Leon and at the same time the dispersal of cattle to farmer-beneficiaries while the launching of Iloilo Dairy Fresh was on December 6 last year at the capitol lobby. (PIO)