Philippine imports cows from New Zealand to boost milk production

CEBU, Philippines – The National Dairy Authority is set to purchase around 280 cattle for distribution to focus farms to accelerate the development of the Philippine dairy industry.

The purchase will be done under the Philippines New Zealand Dairy Project (PNZDP), a five-year collaborative program between the Philippines and the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

“The cattle will arrive in April and will be quarantined for a month and later distributed to technically qualified farms which are interested to have additional animals,” NDA administrator Grace Cenas said.

The PNZDP has focus farms in the CALABARZON region, Visayas and Northern Mindanao.

“The NDA’s technological interventions are also showcased in the focus farms, and the other farmers in the vicinity can visit and take a look at how the technologies are being done for them to learn,” Cenas said.

Launched in 2013, the PNZDP aims to provide technical and farm management interventions to enhance farmers’ productivity, increase reproductive performance and milk yields, and improve dairy policies.

Cenas also reminded dairy cattle raisers not to abuse the use of antibiotics and anti-fungal drugs because the bacteria and other parasites in the animals might develop anti-microbial resistance (AMR), which can result to longer treatments.

“Instead of killing the bacteria that caused the infection, it might worsen because it has become resistant rendering antibiotics ineffective. That is the meaning of AMR, the bacteria will survive even if you have used antibiotic,” she said.

The NDA has assured consumers that milk coming from an animal, which was given antibiotic, would not be processed.

Cenas said the agency is in the process of finalizing the Dairy Food Regulation, slated for approval by Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala next month.