Local milk production rose by 12 percent in 2025 from the previous year as government interventions improved farm productivity, according to the National Dairy Authority (NDA).

Citing data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), NDA said the country’s milk production reached 43.3 million liters last year, up from 38.6 million liters in 2024.

The value of dairy output also improved last year, growing by 27 percent to ₱1.67 billion from ₱1.31 billion.

NDA said the increase in production translated into higher milk sufficiency, now pegged at 2.2 percent of the Philippines’ dairy demand.

This brings the country nearly halfway toward the government’s target of reaching five-percent milk sufficiency by 2028.

NDA Administrator Marcus Antonius Andaya said the improvement in domestic milk output was driven by the government’s dairy development programs.

Over the past year, he said the government rolled out initiatives aimed at boosting animal production, herd expansion, and farm management.

“These gains were achieved without dairy animal importation for the past three years, highlighting improvements in productivity and herd performance at the farm level,” Andaya said.

Last year, NDA said milk output from carabaos rose by 24 percent amid higher contributions from the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC), as well as private carabao farms and non-cooperative member farmers.

In addition, milk production from cattle and goats expanded by four percent and 27 percent, respectively.

The country’s total dairy animal inventory posted five-percent growth last year to 161,868 heads from 154,252 heads in the previous year.

NDA also attributed the dairy sector’s strong performance to the passage of Republic Act (RA) No. 12308, or the Animal Industry Development and Competitiveness Act (AIDCA), during the fourth quarter of last year.

The law, which established the annual ₱20-billion Animal Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (AnCEF), aims to strengthen the institutional framework for livestock and dairy development by promoting competitiveness and streamlining animal health and breeding programs.

NDA said it will rely on the law to sustain the momentum of the country’s milk production this year, particularly in supporting the agency’s herd build-up program.

For 2026, NDA is set to open four stock farms across the country to support the dairy sector. These will be located in Carmen, Cotabato; Malaybalay, Bukidnon; Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur; and Ubay, Bohol.

“With the operation of our stock farms and the planned importation of 870 dairy cattle this year, we are confident these initiatives will further contribute to increased milk production,” Andaya said.

Through RA 12308, NDA also assumed expanded regulatory functions over local dairy activities and products, as well as imported dairy products and activities with a non-local scope.

“Strengthening the role of the NDA allows us to better oversee locally produced milk, from the farm to the consumer,” Andaya added.