The country’s dairy imports in 2016 expanded by 54 percent to 2.77 million metric tons (MMT) in liquid milk equivalent (LME), from 1.79 MMT-LME recorded in 2015, according to the National Dairy Authority (NDA).
The latest NDA data showed that the figure has surpassed the agency’s import forecast of 1.85 MMT-LME for 2016.
The NDA said the value of the country’s milk imports last year reached $807.72 million (P38.358 billion), 16.3 percent higher than the 2015 record of $694.51 million (P31.60 billion).
Of the dairy imports last year, NDA data showed that the bulk consisted of skimmed-milk powder at 1.43 MMT-LME valued at $349.71 million.
The volume was higher than the 787,400 metric tons (MT)-LME of skimmed milk powder valued at $270.85 million purchased by local producers in 2015.
The bulk of the country’s dairy imports came from New Zealand, which accounted for 30.63 percent, followed by the United States (30.35 percent), according to NDA data.
Inbound shipments of milk and dairy products from New Zealand reached 849,330 MT-LME, or 61.11 percent higher than the 527,180 MT-LME imported in 2015.
A total of 107 private firms imported milk and dairy products last year. These include Alaska Milk Corp., Wyeth Philippines Inc., Mead Johnson Nutrition, Nestlé Philippines Inc. and
Magnolia Inc.
The expansion of Philippine dairy imports could be attributed to growing local demand, particularly the rapid expansion of the food-processing sector and the prevailing low price of dairy in the global market, according to a recent Global Agricultural Information Network
(Gain) report.
NDA data also showed the country’s shipments of dairy products in 2016 expanded by 25.70 percent to 211,581 MT-LME, from the 168,324.83 MT-LME posted in 2015.
Export receipts from milk products reached $91.982 million, 7.21 percent higher than the 2015 record of $85.792 million.
Milk and cream products accounted for 99 percent of the country’s total dairy exports.
The value of shipments last year rose by 8.96 percent to $84.0478 million.
The NDA also said whole-milk powder was the most popular dairy product from the Philippines, with purchases reaching 205,544.17 MT-LME valued at $83.761 million, according to the NDA.
Malaysia remained as the top importer of Philippine dairy products, accounting for 54.66 percent of shipments.
Malaysia bought 115,645.10 MT-LME of dairy products valued $43.587 million in 2016.
On an annual basis, the figures were higher by 44.2 percent in terms of volume and 19.74 percent in terms of value.
Dairy products are currently the Philippines’s third-largest agricultural import after wheat and soybean meal.
Image credits: Bloomberg