During the second Richmade Dairy Cattle Congress in Lipa City, Batangas, NDA Administrator Marcus Antonius Andaya outlined the agency’s plan to increase local dairy output through expanded herd sizes, improved milk yields, and farmer training programs.
With the country’s milk consumption projected to nearly double from 1 million tons in 2018 to 1.8 million tons by 2029, the pressure to reduce reliance on imported dairy is growing.
Andaya highlighted the need for significant investment in livestock to boost local production.
"We cannot grip the faucet and hope it will produce more water,” he said, explaining the need for more dairy cattle. “We need more faucets.”
The NDA plans to aggressively import cattle and expand existing stock farms. The goal is to increase the current herd, supported by the agency, from 80,000 dairy animals. Five new stock farms are set to be completed by 2024, with operations beginning in early 2025.
Recent figures show positive trends: from January to June 2024, milk production rose 15 percent, contributing 16,020 metric tons, or 21 percent of the country's total liquid milk supply.
The NDA aims to further increase this output, working closely with local dairy farmers and commercial stakeholders to absorb and distribute locally produced milk.
Andaya stressed that collaboration between farmers, experts, businesses, and the government will be essential to the growth of the Philippine dairy industry.
The NDA’s ambitious initiatives, he believes, will significantly boost local milk production, reducing the country's dependence on imports.
