DA opens P336-M biotech laboratory

The Department of Agriculture has opened a P336-million biotech lab at the Philippine Carabao Center in Nueva Ecjia to help improve the production of livestock meat and dairy products.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala said in a statement the Livestock Innovations and Biotechnology (LIB) was expected to bolster the government’s push to ramp up research, development and extension activities related to animal genetics, health and nutrition.

The complex houses training facilities and laboratories for animal genetic resources, cryobank, reproductive biotechnology and physiology, animal breeding and genetics, molecular genetics, milk analysis, animal health and biosafety, product development and a sperm bank.

“With the new facility, the DA will be able to continue its research into the genetic improvement of the carabao and other farm animals like cattle, goats and sheep,” Alcala said.

“The laboratory is necessary for the development of the country’s nascent dairy industry envisioned to provide a stable and sustainable source of livelihood and income in the countryside,” he added.

Alcala also said post-harvest help for dairy cooperatives had to be intensified, especially in terms of product and market development.

He said the DA was considering the possibility of endorsing the inclusion of carabao milk in the government’s milk feeding program.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the share of carabao milk in national milk output tripled to 16 percent in the early 2000’s to 47 percent in 2014.

Last year, local milk production increased by 2.4 percent to 20 million liters.

The Food and Agriculture Organization is pushing for a greater focus on helping smallholder farmers ramp up milk production as Asia Pacific countries craft a strategy to address undernourishment in the region.

According to the FAO, Asia has overtaken Europe as the world’s largest milk producer following continuous growth in the production and consumption of milk and milk products over the past decades.

“Although domestic dairy production has responded to this growing demand, it continues to fall short of its targets and most countries in Asia are confronted with increasing dairy import bills,” FAO assistant director general Hiroyuki Konuma said in a statement.

The United Nations agency is making the push as it gathered experts and policy-makers from dairy-producing countries in the region to craft a strategic framework for sustainable dairy development, which will boost livelihoods of smallholders as well as lower levels of undernutrition.