The National Dairy Authority (NDA), under the Department of Agriculture, has partnered with Phylum SARL, a France-based consultancy specializing in food, animal health, and welfare, to conduct a feasibility study for the Philippine Dairy Project.

The study will assess whether the project qualifies for a concessional loan from the French government.

The Philippine Dairy Project envisions establishing a modern dairy farm in Ubay, Bohol, with the capacity to care for more than 300 cows for milk production. The dairy farm will also include a facility capable of process up to 10 metric tons of raw milk daily.

The dairy project also includes collaboration with local cooperatives for milk and fodder production, along with capacity- building efforts to improve training and advisory services. It also intends to set up milk collection centers and milk processing facilities in selected areas in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr., representing NDA, signed the Memorandum of Understanding with Phylum, represented by Managing Partner, Francois Gary. The French Ambassador Marie Fontanel, the Undersecretary for Special Concerns, Mr. Jerome V. Oliveros, and NDA Administrator Atty. Marcus Antonius T. Andaya, witnessed the signing ceremony.

The MOU aims to strengthen French-Philippine relations in the dairy sector and modernize the country’s dairy industry. The feasibility study will be funded through a grant from the French government’s Fonds d’Etudes et d’ Aide au Secteur Prive (FASEP).

Currently, the Philippines’ milk sufficiency is a mere 1.66% percent, with NDA targeting a goal of 5% or 80 million liters of milk by 2028. The country’s average milk production per cow remains low at 8 liters per day, hindered by poor feed and management practices, high production cost, and insufficient dairy infrastructure.

The NDA welcomes international collaborations and private sector investments to improve the country’s local dairy industry. ### (Photo by Jay Morales, DA-OSEC)