Bohol to Be Developed as PH Dairy Capital

Dairy Farming in the Philippines 

5,000 heads of Girolando dairy cattle will start the ambitious program of the Department of Agriculture (DA) of increasing the production of 22 million liters of milk annually. 

Bohol is being targeted to be the Dairy Capital of the country. This was announced by DA Secretary Emmanuel Pinol. The site of the Philippine Dairy Development Program is the 3,000-hectare Ubay Stock Farm which is conducive to optimizing dairy cattle farming.

“I will be meeting with Bohol Governor Edgar Chatto and Ubay Mayor Costan Reyes to present to them a proposal which would turn the province of Bohol into the dairy capital of the Philippines,” DA Sec. Pinol stated.

The DA Secretary also said, “The project is expected to provide employment for the local people and additional sources of income for the farmers who would be engaged in the planting of forage and in the fattening of the male offsprings of the dairy cattle.” 
.
IN 2016, dairy production increased four percent to 21,160 metric tons, registering the highest increase under the livestock sector at 10 percent to P715 million.

But, the industry still could not supply the local requirement as the country imported 453,000 metric tons of dairy valued at $808 million in 2016.

The main source of the imports is New Zealand that accounts for 39 percent of the total and the US (24 percent). Other sources were Australia and Germany.

The success of the dairy program will then be replicated in other areas of Bohol wherein the targeted communities will also benefit economically so as to spur further development and more income for the people.