By JOY R. SEVILLA
GENERAL SANTOS CITY (May 9, 2014) – Sarangani Governor Steve Chiongbian Solon boldly projected that Sarangani Province would be one of the major producers of dairy products in the Philippines in the next coming years.
This he bared during the second day of the 17th Dairy Congress and Expo (DairyConEx) held at the Family Country Hotel and Convention Center in General Santos City from May 7-9. Solon added that the dairy industry will also help the economic status of the community.
The DairyConEx is a national dairy meeting place, a three-day event showcasing the newest technologies available to the dairy industry. The stakeholders of the Philippine dairy industry and allied sectors come together once a year to exchange ideas, make new contacts and see the latest technology the dairy industry has to offer.
This year’s theme is "Gatas Pinoy: Paunlarin, Tangkilikin, Palaganapin."
“I think producing more dairy locally can alleviate poverty and improve the health status,” said the governor.
The strength of the livestock industry of Sarangani Province can be attributed to the presence of a dairy plant in the municipality of Malungon, owned and operated by the Malungon Dairy Farmers’ Association (MADAFA) in Barangay Malalag Cogon which can produce 900 liters per day. The dairy plant was established in 2011 by the Land O’ Lakes Cooperatives based in the U.S.A.
According to data from the Provincial Veterinary Office, MADAFA targets to increase its production to 1,200-1,500 liters per day by October 2014.
At present, 160 heads of cattle can be milked by the plant for processing.
Governor Solon said the conference is a good venue to focus on strategies to improve the quality and competitiveness of Philippine dairy products in the market.
It is also good venue to develop more areas to increase production volume for local consumption.
On the other hand, Dr. Daniel Aquino of the Philippine Carabao Center, who spoke about calf rearing during the conference, said the Philippines is spending $857 million annually for imported milk.
“Pinapayaman natin ang mga banyagang magsasaka. Sana ma-reverse natin ang sitwasyon at mapasa-atin na itong ginagasto natin para sa gatas na galing sa ibang bansa,” Aquino said.
According to the report of the National Dairy Authority (NDA) last year, Philippines’ local production sufficiency for dairy products has been pegged at 1% for the last five years. This percentage is defined as the percentage of local production’s contribution to the net local supply.
This implies that 99% of the local dairy consumption has been continually sourced from overseas.
Aquino added that the Philippines is importing 1.9 million liters of milk annually from at least four countries.
Based on the NDA’s report, most of the imported milk utilized for consumption and further processing are sourced from New Zealand (46%), USA (29%), Australia (8%), and France (3%). Eighty five percent of these imports are in the form of powdered milk.
Meanwhile, Aquino told participants that interventions such as stock infusion, enhanced breeding and re-breeding, and proper calf rearing are needed to be implemented by the local farmers.
Successful calf rearing, he said, can be achieved through pre-calving management, good housing, good nutrition, health management, and wean management. This, he added, can produce good dairy animals. (Joy R. Sevilla/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)
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