The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization has been observing World Milk Day every June 1 since 2001. The FAO points out that milk is the third largest provider of dietary protein in the world, which is needed not only for the healthy growth of children but also for adults’ bone health.
Just one cup of milk can provide approximately 300 milligrams of calcium. That’s nearly a third of the recommended daily amount for a young woman.
Yet milk production has not been given sufficient importance in the Philippines. This is evident in the fact that the country imports 99 percent of its milk requirements.
A study released last year by the 蝌蚪传媒 showed one in three Filipino children or about 33 percent suffering from stunting, with only one in four children meeting the recommended energy intake. Even at the start of the COVID pandemic, the country already ranked fifth among countries in East Asia and the Pacific in terms of stunting.
Nutritional inadequacy is most challenging among ages six to 12 months in low-income households, the study showed. The 2022 Annual Poverty Indicator showed that only 23 percent of children benefited from school-based feeding programs.
The problem starts even at conception, with an estimated 14 percent of Filipino women of reproductive age undernourished and prone to giving birth to stunted children. Milk can provide much needed nutrition for both children and mothers.
In October last year, the National Dairy Authority said it intended to raise the country’s milk sufficiency to 2.5 percent this year and closer to five percent by 2028 with a target production of 80 million liters. That’s a drop in the bucket in country where the average annual milk demand is 1.9 billion liters.
Domestic milk production has increased, but the rate is not enough to meet an ever growing demand, which is projected to nearly double within a decade through 2029.
The NDA prefers to look on the bright side, with officials saying that the one percent local milk sufficiency means there’s an enormous potential for growth. The government must raise awareness of that potential. And then it must provide incentives to boost domestic milk production.
This year’s theme for World Milk Day is “Let’s Celebrate the Power of Dairy.” First, that power must be recognized, and action taken accordingly.
