Local production of milk went up 15 percent last year to 30.28 million kilograms (kg) from 2021’s 26.30 million kg, according to data from the National Dairy Authority (NDA).
The agency attributed the improvement to higher volume of dairy animal herd in the Philippines.
NDA said local milk production came from the dairy animal herd inventory of 71,819 heads as of the end of last year, up by 3.2 percent compared to 69,616 heads in 2021.
Of the 2022 inventory, dairy cattle registered 23,608 heads contributing 53 percent of the total volume of milk produced as dairy carabaos reached 17,299 heads for 36 percent of the local milk production while goat inventory totaled to 30,912 heads for 9 percent of all milk produced in the country.
Local production represented 5.07 percent of the country’s net supply of milk last year which totaled to 597 million kg, up by 13.81 percent from 2021’s 524.54 million kg.
Bulk of the country’s milk and dairy products supply are from imports which reached 595.64 million kg in 2022, a 13.6 percent growth from 2021’s 523.95 million kg with its value also improving by 37 percent from $1.2 billion to $1.64 billion, indicating an increase in unit import cost of 23 percent in dollar terms. -Jed Macapagal
