The Sto. Niño Dairy Farmers Association (SANDAFA), a registered group of dairy buffalo raisers in Sto. Niño, South Cotabato, officially engaged in dairy entrepreneurship on February 28 by putting up the first ever dairy store in Region XII to market various carabao’s milk-based products of the cooperative and other smallholder farmers in nearby areas.

SANDAFA is assisted by the DA-PCC through its regional center headed by Dir. Benjamin John Basilio and hosted by the University of Southern Mindanao (USM) in Kabacan, North Cotabato.

The launching, which kicked off with a motorcade in Surallah and nearby towns, was graced by the PCC mascots “Kalaboy” and “Kalagirl” together with the students of Sultan Kudarat Senior High School from the Province of Sultan Kudarat and Suinsangaan National Highschool from Sto. Niño, South Cotabato.

Pasteurized milk and choco milk products produced by D&L Dairy farm were distributed to the guests during the opening program, much to their delight.

Present during the program were PCC’s institutional partners represented by Flora Gabunales, regional director of the Department of Trade and Industry XII (DTI), Dr. Flora Bigot of the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO), Mayor Pablo Jr. Matinong of Sto. Niño Local Government Unit (LGU), and Hon. Loel Nillos, municipal agriculturist of Surallah.

During her speech, DTI regional director Gabunales inspired the dairy farmers of SANDAFA to give importance on products packaging and social media marketing. These, she said “can make or break their brand.”

She added that DTI will continue to support SANDAFA through the shared service facility for products processing.

Dr. Bigot, on the other hand, talked about “counterparting” as an essential role of key players (e.g., milk provider, processor, and seller) in the dairy business. She challenged the cooperative to produce the needed volume of milk to sustain the production of milk products.

More than the capacity to operationalize the business, she said passion has to be continuously nurtured in the hearts of the SANDAFA members, manifested by how much they are giving their carabaos tender loving care, among many others.

PCC@USM Center Director Basilio expressed his gratitude to partners for their support in providing livelihood assistance and other related programs for farmers and/or clients through strengthening the PCC’s Carabao-based Enterprise Development Program.

He encouraged the dairy buffalo farmers to “start small, but think and dream big”.

For the closing remarks, Rovelyn Jacang of the PCC national headquarters congratulated and wished everyone a productive and successful venture. She stated that the SANDAFA dairy store, being the first of its kind in Region XII, is now a model carabao-based enterprise for other dairy cooperatives to emulate.

The main products featured during the event were the carabao’s milk-based delicacies of “Sweet Plate” such as macaroons, butter scotch, brownies, yema cake, brazo de mercedes, and choco moist, as well as ice cream and flavored lacto juice from “Niño Fresh” made by the cooperative-processors of SANDAFA.