CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The National Dairy Authority has provided a P16-million loan to a Northern Mindanao cooperative for its transition to renewable energy.

In an interview, Wilma Buray, plant manager of the Northern Mindanao Federation of Dairy Cooperatives (NMFDC), said the funding will power the federation's daily operations and support equipment modernization.

"The new facility will allow our products to have a longer shelf life of up to six months, which will significantly enhance our production and market reach," Buray told the Philippine News Agency.

The loan will finance a retort facility scheduled for installation on Nov. 20 at the cooperative's plant in El Salvador City, Misamis Oriental.

The NMFDC, producer of the popular "Highland Fresh" milk brand, currently holds P100 million in total assets and produces around 55,000 liters of fresh milk monthly.

The federation supplies the Department of Education and the Department of Social Welfare and Development for their milk feeding programs aimed at combating child malnutrition. 

DA PHOTO