The Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) and the National Dairy Authority (NDA) gathered stakeholders in Luzon to prepare them for responsibilities in the insurance program for planned cattle imports that would help upgrade the local dairy industry.

Dairy farmers as well as officials and staff of the NDA and PCIC, numbering 71, attended the orientation-training held on March 14 in Lubao, Pampanga. The briefing formed part of a series of island-wide orientation-training forums on insurance cover for the NDA’sdairy cattle imports from New Zealand and Australia.

The importation is part of the NDA’s Cattle Upgrading Program. Over 2,100 head of cattle will be shipped to the country, about 1,200 from New Zealand and the balance from Australia. The shipment includes some 1300 pregnant and over 800 non-pregnant cows, and 10 bulls.

Under a PCIC-NDA agreement, the animals will be insured by the PCIC. This will shield from risks the investments of the NDA and its partner-cooperators. PCIC’s livestock program protects livestock raisers against loss of carabao, cattle, horse, swine, goat, sheep, poultry and game fowls and animals due to accidental death or diseases.