Nueva Ecija stock farm boosts hopes for PH dairy modernization
A P59-million stock farm in Nueva Ecija brings a new ray of hope for the government’s long-term goal of reducing dependence on dairy imports.
The National Dairy Authority (NDA) recently inaugurated the country’s first stock farm in General Tinio town, designed to expand the dairy herd and boost domestic dairy production.
The General Tinio facility will address one of the biggest challenges in the sector—the shortage of productive dairy animals.
“We will no longer allow the country’s milk self-sufficiency to remain low,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. says.
“If we do not expand our dairy herd, we will continue to rely on imports and lose opportunities for our farmers,” the agriculture chief says.
Tiu Laurel explains that through these stock farms, dairy animals will be raised systematically to adapt to the Philippine climate.
Once they have acclimatized to the climate and farm conditions, these animals will be distributed to dairy multiplier farms and eventually to smallholder farmers across the archipelago.
According to the NDA, the flagship dairy development facility will serve as the key breeding, development and acclimatization hub for imported dairy animals.
Blueprint
The General Tinio facility, which was completed in 18 months, has a capacity of about 150 dairy cattle.
The first stock farm features modern misters, cow brushes and a 15-hectare forage area, vital for animal comfort and high-quality milk yield. It will serve northern and Central Luzon, and eventually, the entire country as necessary.
NDA Administrator Marcus Antonius Andaya says acclimatization is the key to improving animal survival and output.
“This stock farm is more than infrastructure—it is a long-term commitment to building a strong, reliable and self-sustaining dairy sector,” Andaya says.
“This facility is a blueprint for dairy modernization,” Andaya adds. “This will serve as a model farm that will be replicated in other facilities.”
More to come
According to the NDA, other stock farms in the pipeline—located in Ubay, Bohol; Malaybalay, Bukidnon; Carmen, Cotabato; and Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur—are nearing full operational readiness.
The NDA says there are also plans to construct stock farms in Baguio City, Sorsogon and Puerto Princesa City.
In a Viber message, the NDA tells the Inquirer that it is solely undertaking these projects. However, it plans to engage private sector partners for the multiplier farms.
The NDA had sought a P1.2-billion budget in 2026 to carry out its existing programs and build three more stock farms. However, the proposed National Expenditure Program (NEP) slashed the budget request by almost 60 percent to P500 million, just enough to sustain its regular programs and other related expenses.
Andaya says the newly signed Animal Industry Development and Competitiveness Act could fund the budget needed to build these projects.
“And in the livestock law, we’re given good funding that we can use to construct the stock farms, which were not given to us in the NEP,” Andaya tells reporters.
Import-dependent
The Philippines is almost entirely dependent on imports to meet its dairy requirements. Yet, data from the NDA showed the country’s milk self-sufficiency level has increased to 2.09 percent as of writing.
The country imported 2.59 billion liters of dairy from January to September, a 7.5-percent decrease from 2.8 billion liters in the same period last year, based on the data from the agency.
On the other hand, dairy production remained unchanged at 30.59 billion liters in the nine-month period.
Tiu Laurel, for his part, reaffirms the Department of Agriculture’s broader support for dairy development—from herd buildup and feed production to animal health programs, enterprise development and stronger market linkage.
