Local milk production up 21.2% in H1

Citing its own data and that of the Philippine Statistics Authority, the NDA said local milk output reached 25.38 million liters from January to June, up from 20.94 million liters in the same period last year.The country’s dairy herd grew 6.5 percent to 165,858 heads from 155,662 a year earlier.At constant 2018 prices, the value of dairy production expanded 21.4 percent to P975.73 million as of June from P804.04 million in the comparable period in 2025.Farmgate prices also improved as of March. The average price of cow’s milk edged up 0.4 percent to P47.05 per liter, while carabao milk increased 5 percent to P89.55 per liter.NDA Administrator Marcus Antonius Andaya attributed the growth in production partly to stronger demand from government nutrition programs, which has encouraged farmers to expand their herds and invest in feeds and other farm improvements.“Our farmers are becoming more confident in investing in their farms because they see a growing and reliable market for their milk,” Andaya said.He cited the Department of Education’s school-based feeding program, the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s feeding initiatives, and local government nutrition programs as important sources of demand.Andaya likewise noted that government procurement of locally produced milk under the Sagip Saka Act has provided dairy farmers with a more reliable market for their output.Among the regions, the Zamboanga Peninsula posted the fastest production growth in H1 at 128.66 percent from a year earlier. Caraga Region followed at 72.03 percent and the Ilocos Region at 58.15 percent.The NDA said it would continue programs covering herd expansion, genetic improvement, animal nutrition, dairy enterprise and market development, and milk processing to further increase productivity and strengthen the industry’s value chain.