PHL milk production up 11.4% in first half

MILK production in the six months to June rose 11.4% to 18.16 million liters, according to the National Dairy Authority (NDA).

Milk from cattle accounted for 60.4% or 10.98 million liters, the NDA said in a report.

Carabao milk made up 14.5% or 2.64 million liters of the total, it added.

Goats, meanwhile, accounted for 11.8% or 2.14 million liters.

In NDA-assisted areas, cow’s milk and goat’s milk production rose 11.7% and 47.5%, respectively.

The NDA said the national dairy herd grew to 166,411 head, equivalent to a 16.4% increase, largely due to the Department of Agriculture’s herd build-up programs for cattle and goats.

It said the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) is also building up the carabao herd via breeding programs.

The national dairy carabao herd consisted of 89,907 animals, of which 44.6% were grown in PCC-assisted farms.

The NDA said while cattle accounted for the smallest part of the dairy herd, “they consistently deliver the largest share of national milk production, reaffirming their strategic importance in the country’s dairy development agenda.” — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza