Spurring Dairy Buffalo Development in the Philippines through Cooperatives, Negotiations, and Networks

The paper aimed to analyze the roles and implications of cooperatives, negotiations and networks in the implementation of the National Impact Zone (NIZ) Program for dairy buffalo development in the Philippines. It detailed how the program evolved from a series of negotiations involving the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC), cooperatives, individual farmers, local officials and other stakeholders. Through successful negotiations, several actors were enlisted until a network of relations shaped up. Negotiations and networks anchored on the cooperatives and as facilitated or managed by the intermediaries (mainly the NIZ Management Staff and field technicians from the PCC), have resulted in integrative agreements regarding adoption of particular innovations, marketing strategies, and policy implementation. Continuous improvement and sustainability of the NIZ Program depends on the effective management of its network. Strategic alliance with other actors or private groups to help in the business aspect of the NIZ operations is also recommended.