Philippine Carabao Center

The Philippine Carabao Center (Filipino: Sentro ng Kalabaw sa Pilipinas),^[1] an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture, was established at Nueva Ecija in 1992 to study and promote the carabao in the Philippines as a multi-purpose animal that can be raised for milk, meat, hide, and draft.^{[2] [3] [4] [5]} It was sponsored as a bill by the then senator Joseph Estrada and eventually enacted as a law through Republic Act 7307 or the Philippine Carabao Act of 1992.^[6]

Imported Breeds

To improve the breeds and milk yield, Murrah buffalo breeds were imported from the Central Institute for Research on Buffaloes, Hisar, India. The center breeds and cross-breeds, through artificial insemination, animals called Murrah buffalo, a species of the dairy type from India, Bulgaria and some countries like North and Latin America. This type can produce an average of eight liters of milk daily in 300 days. Top-performing ones can produce 12 - 15 liters per day.^[7]

Reproduction Technology

The PCC had some success in reproductive biotechnology in 2004 when the first test-tube buffalo was born on April 5, also the birthday of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Incidentally, the test-tube buffalo is a female and was named as "Glory" after the President.

Milk Yield Improvement

Late in 2007, according to Filipino scientists, the Center located in Nueva Ecija initiated a study to breed the super water buffalo that could produce 4 to 18 liters of milk/day using gene-based technology.^[6] The majority of the funding came from the Department of Science and Technology. When this marker-assisted selection process is perfected it will allow the poor farmers to conserve their resources by raising only the best producers that are genetically selected soon after birth.

Gallery

• 
  PCC facade, National Headquarters and Gene Pool, Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija
• 
  Panorama
• 
  Bulgarian Murrah (Dairy) Asian water buffalo breeds, PCC^[8] List of Domestic Asian Water buffalo breeds (Super carabao Water buffalo)
• 
  The super carabaos at the milking and breeding station
• 
  Panorama of the super carabaos from the view deck
• 
  Milking from the view deck
• 
  Panorama of the breeding and milking station
• 
  Housing of the officers
• 
  Staff housing
• 
  Dairy Plant, Milka Krem Panorama
• 
  Facade
• 
  The main products of Dairy Plant, Milka Krem, Philippine Carabao Center

See also

• Murrah buffalo
• Central Institute for Research on Buffaloes, Hisar, India
• Government Livestock Farm, Hisar, India

References

1. "Impormasyon Tungkol sa Unibersidad" (PDF) (in Filipino). Central Luzon State University: 17.
2. "Philippine Carabao Center History". Retrieved 27 September 2010.
3. Hernandez, Ma. Eloisa E. "The Philippine Carabao Center ...has gone a long way". Bureau of Agricultural Research. Retrieved 27 September 2010.
4. Robles, Chan. "REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7307". Robles Chan Virtual Law Library. Retrieved 27 September 2010.
5. "The Philippines: Enterprise-Driven Dairy Development" (PDF). Philippine Carabao Center. Retrieved 27 September 2010.
6. Uy, Jocelyn (31 December 2007). "Super carabao making the scene in year of the rats". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 26 June 2012.
7. "Philippine Carabao Center". chanrobles.com.
8. pcc.gov.ph

External links

• Philippine Carabao Center