Milk output churns higher in H1 as dairy herd grows

MANILA, Philippines — The country’s dairy sector showed mixed but positive gains during the first half, with milk production rising by 11.4 percent and the national dairy herd expanding by nearly eight percent, the Department of Agriculture said yesterday.

The DA said its attached agency, the National Dairy Authority (NDA), reported that the country’s milk output reached 18.16 million liters during the period, up by 11.4 percent from 16.30 million liters recorded in the same period last year.

Of the total milk production, the DA said 14.72 million liters came from NDA-assisted and monitored areas, up by 11.9 percent and accounting for 81 percent of the total.

The remaining 3.44 million liters were produced outside the agency’s oversight, it added.

Dairy cattle remained the main source of milk, contributing 10.98 million liters, or 60.4 percent of total output.

Dairy goats followed with 2.14 million liters, or 11.8 percent of total output, while the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) reported 2.64 million liters of carabao milk, accounting for 14.5 percent of national production.

Within NDA-monitored areas, cattle output rose by 11.7 percent and goat’s milk surged by 47.5 percent during the period from year-ago levels.

The national dairy herd also expanded from January to June, totaling 166,411 heads, an increase of 12,159 or 7.9 percent from 154,252 heads in the same period last year.

This includes 37,369 dairy cattle, 89,907 carabaos and 39,035 goats, reflecting the overall growth in the country’s dairy population.

“The steady growth in both milk output and dairy herd shows that our current programs are bearing fruit,” NDA administrator Marcus Antonius Andaya said, as quoted by the DA.

“By expanding the herd and improving productivity at the farm level, we are creating more opportunities for our dairy farmers and increasing the availability of fresh, local milk for Filipino families,” he said further.

He added that the establishment of five stock farms in General Tinio, Nueva Ecija; Ubay, Bohol; Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur; Malaybalay, Bukidnon and Carmen, Cotabato, with three more in the pipeline, will further boost herd population and milk production in the coming years.

NDA programs now cover 70 provinces, 463 municipalities and 1,307 dairy entities, providing support to 2,355 farmers under its assisted and monitored schemes as of mid-2025.

With these developments, the DA expressed optimism that the country is moving closer to meeting its long-term dairy development targets and ensuring a more stable supply of locally produced milk.