DTRI Gives Milk to Community Pantry and Nearby Barangays

DTRI has been blessed to be a channel for donations for the milk feeding program. With the bayanihan spirit inherent among Filipinos, some dairy farm owners and concerned individuals donated raw milk or cash. The raw milk was processed into ready-to-drink (RTD) milk and the cash was spent to add more to the volume of milk to be given out.

Through the directive of DTRI Director Dr. Amado A. Angeles, the milk-giving activity initially took place on April 20. Eight hundred thirty-five bottles of 200 ml fresh milk were distributed to barangays Batong Malake, San Antonio, Maahas, Tuntungin-Putho, Mainit and Masaya in Los Banos and Bay, Laguna.

DTRI also handed-over bottles of fresh milk to the trending Community Pantry hosted by OVCCA. The second batch of milk giving happened on April 27 and was distributed to barangays Batong Malake, Mainit and Tuntungin including the OVCCA’s community pantry.

With the help of UPLB Alumni and friends, Dr. Angeles is optimistic that this activity will continue amidst these trying times. (JLRayos and ROBatocabe, Photo DMUrcia and JMDomingo)

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Author Archives: Mel Batocabe

CJCJ and team visit DTRI

Chancellor Jose V. Camacho, Jr. (CJCJ) and his team visited the Dairy Training and Research Institute (DTRI) last November 27. The team, together with CAFS Dean Elpidio M. Agbisit, Jr., and Institute of Animal Science (IAS) Director Romel C. Sulabo arrived at DTRI in the morning after looking over the facilities and laboratories at the IAS. DTRI Director Amado A. Angeles ushered them around the picturesque environ of the Institute where the dairy farm, processing plant, and the pasture area are located. After which, the DTRI executive committee welcomed CJCJ and his team to the DTRI auditorium where packed lunch was served along with DTRI-produced fresh milk, chocolate milk, yogurt, kesong puti, mozzarella cheese (on pizza), and gouda cheese. (First published in Aggie Green and Gold November 2020 issue)

DTRI Director Dr. Angeles (left) orients UPLB Chancellor Camacho (center) and CAFS Dean Dr. Agbisit on DTRI operations.

DTRI hosts first Aggie Ps Talk Season 2

DTRI hosted the webinar on How to Make Yogurt and Pastillas de Leche, the first among the series of Aggie Ps Talk Season 2. It was held via Zoom and was streamed live on Facebook and YouTube last November 11. The webinar featured a step-by-step demonstration on how to make yogurt and pastillas de leche from raw materials to finished product. Prof. Angelo Tapia, DTRI deputy director and head of the DTRI Dairy Technology Division, served as the resource person for yogurt-making, while Ms. Aida B. Lanaca, plant manager of the DTRI dairy processing plant, discussed the procedures for pastillas de leche.

Ms. Lanaca satisfactorily answered in detail the questions for both yogurt- and pastillas-making during the question and answer portion. There were 91 participants who attended the webinar from all over the country. The Aggie Ps Talk is an initiative of CAFS in response to the information needs on food production and livelihood during the pandemic. (First published in Aggie Green and Gold November 2020 issue)

DTRI tops off Aggie Ps Talk Season 2 with webinar on ruminant nutrition

The Dairy Training and Research Institute (DTRI) topped off the second season of the Aggie Ps Talk: Pagkain at Pangkabuhayan sa Panahon ng Pandemya with the topic on ruminant nutrition. The webinar’s focus was a special request from the participants during the Aggie Ps Talk Season 1. It was then decided that this webinar will be offered during the second season. And before the holidays, the webinar was successfully held on December 11 via Zoom.

A total of 182 individuals from all over the Philippines participated in the CAFS webfresher course. It is comprised mostly of students, teachers, agriculturists, farm workers, extensions workers, researchers, administrative workers, and agricultural technologists. During the webinar, the participants were taught about the characteristics and peculiarities of the gastro-intestinal (GI) tract of ruminants, importance of balance rations in animal production, nutrients considered in satisfying feed requirements, common feeds as nutrient source for ruminants, and the principles in ration formulation.

Dr. Amado A. Angeles, UP scientist and ruminant nutritionist, served as resource person. He is currently a faculty member at the UPLB Institute of Animal Science and the incumbent director of DTRI. The ruminant nutrition webfresher course served as a prelude to the short course (via distance mode) on ruminant nutrition that will be offered in 2021. (First published in Aggie Green and Gold December 2020 issue)

DTRI orients young Filipino farmers for training in Japan

A s part of the pre-departure orientation program for the scholars of the Young Filipino Farmers Training Program in Japan (YFFTPJ), the Dairy Training and Research Institute (DTRI) conducted the Basic Training Course on Dairy and Beef Cattle Production and Management for young Filipino farmer-scholars last February 12–15, 2018.

A total of 22 young farmers were selected by the Department of Agriculture – Agricultural Training Institute (DA-ATI) to be this year’s farmer-scholars. With ages ranging from 18 to 27 years, the young farmers represented 14 regions of the country. They were selected at the regional level based on the qualifications set by the ATI.

Through the course, the status of the beef and dairy cattle industry in the Philippines and of the world was discussed. The scholars were also trained on dairy herd management, breeding and physiology of cattle, animal health, milking and milking procedures, milk hygiene and sanitation, feeds and feeding, pasture establishment, and silage and hay making. Hands-on training on the management practices for calves, heifers and milking cows, silage and hay making, and machine milking were also part of the course.

At the onset of the course, the participants took a written examination to measure their knowledge on dairy and beef cattle production. Based on the test results, majority (82%) of the participants had low, very low, or no knowledge on the subject matter. When the same test was administered at the end of the course, majority (73%) of the participants had very high knowledge, while 27% had high knowledge on dairy and beef cattle production and management.

The Philippines, through the YFFTPJ, yearly sends selected young Filipino farmers to Japan to learn new technologies in agriculture. Prior to their departure, the ATI requires the participants undergo several short courses in agriculture (crops and livestock) before their intensive training in Japan. One of the orientation courses they have to undertake is the Basic Training Course on Dairy and Beef Cattle Production and Management. At the end of the program, the farmer-scholars should be able to identify projects that they could pursue in the Philippines.

The course was conducted at DTRI in cooperation with the UPLB Foundation Inc. while the YFFTPJ is managed and funded by the DA-ATI. (RO Batocabe, with photo courtesy of DE Paner)

Source: Aggie Green and Gold (Official Quarterly Publication of the UPLB College of Agriculture and Food Science ) , Vol XIX No. 1 January-March 2018, ISSN: 1655924X

DTRI trains PSAU Vet Med Students

Seventeen veterinary medicine (vet med) students of Pampanga State Agricultural University (PSAU) successfully completed the Specialized Training Course on Dairy Cattle Management held on April 16-25, 2018 at DTRI.

The senior vet med students learned from experts and experienced hands-on the rudiments of dairy herd management; reproductive physiology/breeding; feeds and feeding for dairy cattle; pasture establishment, management and utilization; estrus synchronization/cryopreservation; pregnancy diagnosis; dairy chemistry and microbiology; forage conservation; records-keeping; herd health management; semen collection/evaluation/processing; and milking and milking procedures. (R.O. Batocabe)

Source:   Aggie Green and Gold (Official Quarterly Publication of the UPLB College of Agriculture and Food Science ), Vol XIX No. 2  |  April to June 2018 ISSN: 1655924X