Carabao Center marks 17th year in week-long celebrations

SCIENCE CITY OF MUÑOZ - Hundreds of farmers in Luzon will be briefed on the various aspects of dairying during visits to four dairy sites in Nueva Ecija on March 25.

They were invited by the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) to take part in the week-long 17th anniversary celebration of the agency, which runs from March 22 to 26.

 The farmers will be given lectures on forage production, waste disposal management, proper milk collection and handling, and milk quality testing. Champion farmers of the PCC will be giving the lectures.

Sites of the visit and lectures will be in dairy farms in San Jose City, Talavera, and this city in Nueva Ecija.

Dr. Michiko Nakai of the National Institute of Agro-biological Sciences in Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan, will talk on the “Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI): Recent Developments and Prospects in Livestock Production.”

 A forum on artificial insemination will be held the whole day on Wednesday.

On Friday, which is the anniversary program of PCC, newly appointed Agriculture Secretary Bernie Fondevilla will deliver his keynote address.

Dr. Libertado Cruz, PCC executive director, will render his report about the achievements of PCC during the past year and will give a glimpse of what the agency will do next in relation to the carabao improvement program in the country and its additional mandate as the country’s lead agency for livestock biotechnology research and development.

A book, “Appreciating the Carabao”, written by Nueva Ecija journalist Anselmo Roque, will be launched during the program. The PCC will also give awards for best dairy cooperative, best dairy cow, and best dairy buffalo farmer under the smallhold and family module categories.

Gov. Aurelio Umali of Nueva Ecija, Rep. Joseph Violago of the second district of Nueva Ecija, and Mayor Nestor Alvarez of this city have been invited to grace the occasion. – Rowena Galang-Bumanlag