Local dairy producers in the region have urged consumers to patronize local milk products instead of favoring imported ones.
Mizraim Melchor of the Federation of Davao Dairy Farmers Cooperative said the dairy industry needs more assistance from the government to help the thriving dairy farmers and producers in the countryside.
The industry in Region 11 alone produces about 1,200 liters of fresh and processed milk daily, 30 percent of which goes to commercial outlets, while the rest are frozen for another use.
Melchor said that farmers and processors couldn’t increase the volume of daily production due to the poor breeding practices that are still being followed by most farmers.
“We hope that there’ll be some upgrading in terms of technology and techniques to improve our production,” he said.
Today, the world is taking a close look at the food situation in a bid to address the rising challenge of food security and sufficiency, he said, adding that the challenge must not be addressed by governments alone.
The participation and commitment of industry leaders in the overall effort to enhance the country’s food security is crucial. In the formulation of policies and programs to address this concern, your inputs, insights and experience are crucial.
The Dairy Confederation of the Philippines (DairyCon), the apex organization of all dairy farmers and cooperatives all over the country, held the 14th Dairy Congress and Expo (DairyConEx) last May 12-14 at the Davao Convention and Trade Center in Davao City.
The DairyConEx gave processors, dairymen, cooperatives and all other allied industries the chance to participate in formulating plans of action that will improve dairy production in the country. Being a net importer of dairy products, the Philippines stands to benefit from this congress’ inputs that would lead to the development of more farms and an increase in the dairy production.
The expo’s showcasing of the latest products and services and the emerging technologies and methods that will optimize the use of dairy resources that are available locally, will surely impact the planned expansion of activities in the dairy industry as espoused by its theme, “Gatas ng Pinoy, Yaman ng Pinoy!” [Mai Gevera-PIA]
