Philippines urgently needs to vigorously develop local dairy industry

According to a column article published on March 16 in the Philippine Star, in addition to rice, another food that the Philippines urgently needs to increase production is milk. Malnutrition has caused stunted development in millions of poor children in the Philippines, which has become a long-term problem. However, milk, especially infant formula, is still a luxury for poor families. Recently, the Philippine Dairy Administration said that the import rate of dairy products has dropped from 99% to 98% in 2023, but data from the Philippine Agricultural and Food Chamber of Commerce showed that the milk self-sufficiency rate is still less than 1%. The dairy industry has urged the government to implement the National Dairy Development Act, requiring the local milk source to be increased to 5%. If it cannot be met, relevant companies are required to build new dairy farms in the Philippines. The Philippines ...