In a move to enhance the dairy sector, the Philippines and France have formalized a partnership, as disclosed by the Department of Agriculture (DA) on Saturday. The collaboration was cemented through a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed between the National Dairy Authority (NDA) of the Philippines and the French company Phylum SARL. This agreement paves the way for a feasibility study aimed at the Philippine Dairy Project, which is set to be financed by a grant from the French government’s Fonds d’Etudes et d’ Aide au Secteur Prive.
The study will determine the viability of securing a concessional loan from France to support the project, which plans to establish a state-of-the-art dairy farm in Ubay, Bohol. This facility will be equipped to handle over 300 cows and process up to 10 metric tons of raw milk each day. The initiative also includes working with local cooperatives to enhance milk and fodder production, alongside efforts to bolster training and advisory services.
The DA highlighted that the partnership will aid in setting up milk collection centers and processing facilities across various regions in the country. Phylum SARL, known for its expertise in food, animal health, and welfare, will play a crucial role in this development.
Currently, the Philippines struggles with a milk sufficiency rate of only 1.66 percent. The NDA has set an ambitious target to increase this to five percent, aiming for 80 million liters of milk by 2028. Challenges such as low milk production per cow, attributed to inadequate feed and management, high production costs, and a lack of dairy infrastructure, are significant hurdles.
The NDA is open to further international partnerships and private investments to uplift the local dairy industry. The MOU was signed by Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. on behalf of the NDA, and Francois Gary, the managing partner of Phylum SARL, on January 22.