Gov’t to put up 300-head cattle farm

MANILA, Philippines - The National Dairy Authority (NDA) has forged an agreement with the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) for a 83-hectare cattle breeding farm in Malaybalay, Bukidnon this year.

The breeding farm would comprise a dairy milking facility, animal housing, feed silos and water system.

The NDA is revising its projection for domestic milk production for the next four years as milk production outpaces original targets.

NDA Administrator Grace Cenas said the agency expects local producers to provide 50 percent of the country’s liquid milk requirements by 2016.

Under the National Dairy Roadmap, the government aims to enable local dairy producers to supply up to 46 percent of the country’s total liquid milk requirement. Domestic producers currently supply 40 percent of local milk demand.

Raw milk production in 2012 rose by 12 percent to 18.45 million liters from 16.45 million liters in 2011.

Local milk production has been growing at an average of seven percent annually in the last five years.

The growth in 2012 milk production exceeded the initial target of 10 percent. For this year, milk production target is placed at 20 million liters.

The NDA intends to keep the growth rate at 12 percent and above in the coming years and achieve full sufficiency by 2021.

To increase raw milk production, the government is importing more breeding dairy animals this year to improve local stock.

More multiplier farms will also be established to increase the breeding stock.

The country has a current inventory of 40,696 dairy animals.

To fully meet the country’s dairy demand and replace imports, one million dairy animals would be needed. In 2012, the government imported 10 bulls and 2, 100 female cows for breeding.