NDA putting up more processing facilities

MANILA, Philippines - The National Dairy Authority (NDA) is putting up this year a milk processing plant and milk display center in its Ubay stock farm in Bohol as part of its efforts to strengthen the local dairy industry.

The NDA recently signed a memorandum of agreement with the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) for the establishment of such facilities within the 635-hectare multiplier farm of dairy animals in Bohol.

The processing plant, which will cover 4, 150 square meters, will comprise a pasteurization area and a sterilization line.

The plant will process milk produced in the Ubay stock farm and adjacent farms which will, in turn, be sold within and outside of Bohol province.

To complement the processing plant is a milk display center, for which as smaller area shall be allocated. This will serve as a market outlet for walk-in visitors and as exhibit center for promotion of milk products.

The production capacity and the budget for the milk processing plant and the display center is still being finalized.

Eight percent of the annual income generated by the process plant and display center shall be plowed back into the Ubay stock farm as development assistance.

The facilities shall also be utilized for training activities of the NDA in the region.

It is noted in the agreement that the Ubay stock farm is an ideal location for the establishment of such infrastructure because of its proximity to the main highway, therefore allowing for easier transportation of milk products.

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 now expects local producers to be able to provide for 50 percent of the country’s liquid milk requirements by 2016.

Under the National Dairy Roadmap, the country aims to enable dairy producers to produce 43 to 46 percent of the total domestic liquid milk requirement.

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

 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.

The NDA intends to keep the growth rate at 12percent and above in the coming years.

Cenas said domestic producers currently satisfy 40 percent of the domestic liquid milk demand.

The milk production target this year is placed at 20 million liters. The agency intends to 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.

The offspring of these breeding stocks are redistributed to capable dairy farms.

This year, the NDA intends to procure  an additional 700 milking cattle.