Milk feeding program in public schools eyed

SCIENCE CITY OF MUNOZ, Nueva Ecija — Incoming Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Emmanuel “Manny” F. Piñol has vowed to make milk feeding in public schools a national program.

The plan aims to address the problem of dairy farmers in marketing and distribution of milk and at the same  time, help alleviate malnutrition among school children

As part of his “Biyaheng Bukid”, Piñol has visited the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) National Headquarters and Gene Pool along with the other DA attached agencies here to see for himself the outcomes and the relevant issues about their respective programs.

The incoming agriculture secretary was toured by PCC top personnel at the Milka Krem where carabao’s milk products such as mozzarella, bocconcini, “kesong puti”, pastillas, yoghurt, fresh milk and different flavored milk drinks were served.

He was also ushered to the national gene pool to visit the purebred buffaloes and later toured the Livestock Innovations and Biotechnology Center where he was briefed about the PCC program in a video presentation featuring success stories of farmers.

Piñol said the program would be multipurpose as it will boost the income of dairy farmers and farm workers, while likewise addressing malnutrition among children.

“We will coordinate our efforts with the National Dairy Authority and Department of Education to identify schools or barangays that have high rates of malnutrition and we’ll focus our program there. If the carabao program could be replicated in other province successfully, then we will support it all the way,” he said. -- PNA