A farmers’ cooperative in this town is providing carabao fresh milk for the government’s nationwide milk feeding program canning it to prolong its shelf-life for distribution in far-flung areas in the province of Pangasinan.
In an interview on Thursday, Bantog Samahang Nayon Multipurpose Cooperative (BSNMC) president Rolly Mateo said the canned carabao fresh milk can last up to six months compared to those utilizing tetra packaging that lasts only five to 45 days when placed in a freezer.
Mateo said they innovated their packaging to cater to the demands of the Department of Education’s (DepEd) supplemental feeding program.
He added they have started distributing the canned carabao fresh milk since July 30 this year.
“We have been in partnership with the DepEd as we provide nutritious carabao fresh milk to the pupils through the department’s supplemental feeding program. We are now distributing 600,000 pieces of 200-milliliter carabao fresh milk through DepEd every month,” he said.
Mateo said despite the new packaging, they have not increased their prices and the canned product is yet exclusive for DepEd.
“Due to the lockdown last year, we were unable to sell most of our products because our customers cannot travel. But now, we are glad we have this partnership with the provincial government as well as the local government of Asingan and now with the DepEd,” he said.
Mateo cited the Philippine Carabao Center, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Agrarian Reform, among others, as the catalysts to further develop their products and the cooperative as well.
The cooperative started distributing dairy products in 2005 with a capital of PHP10,000. It has now PHP7 million to PHP8 million assets with an estimated 260 members.
“We still lack supply to cater to other markets. But we do have other products such as yogurt (mango, strawberry, blueberry, and chocolate flavors), corn flavored ice cream, pastillas, polvoron, nutribun (milky bun) and fresh milk in bottles,” he said. (PNA)
