BUTUAN CITY – With its goal to empower the participants by equipping them with the skills and technologies essential for producing dairy products from cattle’s milk thus creating opportunities for increased income, the Agricultural Training Institute – Regional Training Center (ATI-RTC) XIII conducted the Training on Milk Processing and Management on September 10-12, 2025, held at CountryFields Agritech Center Inc. in Barangay Tungao.

Conducted under the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan (CFIDP), the training aimed to discuss the economic opportunities for dairy milk production and coconut-dairy integration, identify the appropriate, safe, hygienic, and efficient tools for milk processing, enumerate the basic composition and properties of milk, properties of milk, and perform various milk processing techniques through hands-on activities.

Topics discussed during the sessions included Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), food safety, dairy animal management, breed selection, milk composition and quality, packaging and labeling, milk testing, and recordkeeping.

The 30 participants engaged in the actual processing of pasteurized milk, flavored milk, yogurt, milk bars, and white cheese. “With the guidance of Mr. Olegario B. Ayensa Jr. who is the owner of this farm, we would not really know the best processing techniques and the correct steps. There’s no room for mistakes because we were able to do it hands-on,” said Mr. Vivencio M. Llano, one of the participants from Barobo, Surigao del Sur.