May 27, 2026

 

Philippine dairy authority confident domestic dairy production will rise in 2026

 

 

The Philippines' National Dairy Authority (NDA) is confident that the country's dairy production will increase this year due to the arrival of imported dairy animals and the construction of additional stock farms.

 

NDA Administrator Marcus Antonius Andaya said the agency was "very, very optimistic" about local dairy output reaching 53 million litres in 2026. If achieved, this would reflect a 22.4% increase from last year's actual production of 43.3 million litres.

 

Andaya likewise expressed confidence in attaining a milk sufficiency level of 3.3% this year, up from the previous target of 2.33%.

 

The NDA chief said the arrival of 800 Holstein and Jersey dairy cattle breeds from Australia, scheduled for delivery in August, along with an additional 800 head if delivered this year, would boost local dairy output.

 

"Most likely, if the same supplier gets the contract [to provide the imported dairy animals], the deliveries [of cattle] may be combined [and] both would arrive sometime in October," he told reporters in an interview.

 

Andaya said the procurement of dairy cattle for the year is ongoing, although the cost of importing such animals has risen to ₱220,000 (US$3,770) per head.

 

Even without the imported dairy animals, Andaya said the production target is still attainable due to the "aggressive" institutional support and the distribution of feeds to the sector.

 

The NDA is also banking on five stock farms in different parts of the Philippines to increase dairy production.

 

The country's first stock farm, located in General Tinio, commenced operations in November last year. Four other stock farms are already completed and will be operational this year: Ubay; Malaybalay; Carmen; and Prosperidad.

 

The NDA is planning to build three other stock farms in Sorsogon, Baguio City, and Negros, spanning about 50 hectares and capable of housing 150 dairy cattle each.

 

The country's dairy production increased by 6.47% to 11.79 million litres in the first quarter of 2026, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

 

In terms of value, dairy output amounted to ₱449.18 million (US$7.70 million) during the quarter, up 6.5%.

 

- Inquirer