Senatorial aspirant and former Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol expressed dismay over the use of imported dairy products for the country’s school feeding program.
Instead of using imported milk, he said using local dairy products would be a big boost to the industry.
“Instead of supporting our local dairy farmers by absorbing the local milk production to help the industry. Here we are again proposing a program which would support imports,” Piñol said.
He said he was saddened when the school feeding program of the Department of Education (DepEd) was dependent on imported milk, supplied by multinationals.
“Indeed, it will take some time before the local dairy stakeholders could supply the needs for the national milk-feeding program,” Piñol added.
During his stint as the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Secretary, Piñol emphasized that the major problem faced by the local dairy industry is the access to the market dominated by established multi-national dairy corporations.
He said that even dairy cooperatives had been confined to the marginal markets limiting their growth potential.
However, he suggested a program wherein women will prepare supplemental foods like – squash, Malunggay at anchovy (dilis) or sardine (tamban).
“This program would not only support our local farmers and fishermen but also provide jobs for women in the rural areas who could be engaged in preparing the supplemental food,” Piñol cited.
“Many of our countrymen are unemployed but here we are taking away income and job opportunities from our own people,” he further emphasized.
