On Wednesday, I took an early morning flight from Manila to Laguindingan in Misamis Oriental to attend the opening of the 20th Dairy Congress and Expo in.Mambajao, Camiguin.
It was not an easy trip since I had to take a BFAR vessel to ferry my team across the channel and later bring me and my group to Ubay, Bohol for another engagement in the island.
I also did not feel comfortable going to Camiguin and meet up with the political leaders in the area who in the last campaign period made things difficult for the campaign organizers of then presidential candidate Rody Duterte.
But I had to set aside politics because the dairy industry in the country, in spite of the many years of efforts and the billions in government funds poured into the sector, has fared very poorly until today.
Even as the sector marked the 20th Dairy Congress, the Philippine Dairy Industry could hardly supply 5% of the milk and dairy requirements of the country.
Ninety five percent of the milk and dairy products consumed by Filipinos is imported.
In my address to the dairy sector, I promised that the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, including attached agencies involved in the dairy industry like the National Dairy Authority (NDA) and the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) will never be involved in corruption.
The Department’s Dairy Program has been marked by corruption-tainted transactions in the past like the overpriced dairy animals and genetically inferior animals brought into the country.
In my message to the dairy farmers, I urged them to organize and consolidate their efforts so that government.could easily support them.
Among the assistance and support which could be extended by the DAF would.be the establishment of a national registry program to establish the genetic lineage of all dairy animals, including cattle, goats and carabaos.
The DAF could also support the establishment of municipal multiplier farms and learning centers in the different parts of the country and provide financial assistance for feed mills.
After the 20th Dairy Congress, I will invite the key stakeholders in the dairy industry to a consultative forum to formulate a 10-year Philippine Dairy Industry Development Road Map.
It is tragic that until today, no such industry blueprint has been designed, formulated and implemented.
Kanya-kanyang gatasan pa rin hanggang ngayon.
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