March 22, 2013

The Philippines aims to increase its dairy production target in the next four years since domestic milk production continues to surpass targets, said the National Dairy Authority (NDA).

According to NDA Administrator Grace Cenas, the agency is keen on securing more than 50 percent of the total liquid-milk or ready-to-drink (RTD) market by 2016, a 7-percent increase from the initial 43 percent under the government's medium-term dairy-development plan.

Cenas said they are focusing on  liquid-milk supply, since the country still cannot compete with powdered milk from abroad. By 2016, Cenas is hopeful that half of the country's liquid milk requirement will be supplied locally. Under the government's National Dairy Roadmap, the country aims to reach sufficiency level in the RTD market, from 19 percent in 2010 to 43 percent by 2016.

In fact, Cenas says the industry was able to post significant improvements with increasing productivity and the number of milking animals in 2012.

Last year, the country's liquid-milk production increased by 12.16 percent to 18.45 million liters from 16.45 million liters in 2011. The figure was also higher by 33 percent compared to total RTD milk output five years ago.

This means two out of every five glasses of milk is supplied locally, according to Cenas.

For 2013, the NDA aims to produce about 20 million liters of milk.

The NDA chief also said the total number of dairy animals, including cattle, carabao and goat, has reached 40,696 heads in 2012 from 37,891 heads the year before.

Cenas added NDA has 43 dairy multiplier farms operating nationwide with more than 3,000 dairy animals on the ground, which are expected to produce at least a boatload next year.

For 2013, the agency plans to procure additional 700 milking cattle to sustain local growth.