Danilo V. Fausto, president of the Dairy Confederation of the Philippines (DairyConPhil), has declared that the local dairy industry has nowhere else to go but forward.
DairyConPhil is the umbrella organization of dairy farmers and other stakeholders in the industry who are members of 12 dairy federations and associations in various parts of the country.
He urged dairy farmers to expand their ventures in light of the growing demand for dairy products, not only in the country, but in other Southeast Asia countries as well.
Fausto, who is a successful dairy entrepreneur with vast experience in investment banking, has a thriving “Gatas ng Kalabaw” (Dairy Buffalo Milk) enterprise based in Talavera, Nueva Ecija. His products, which include fresh milk and flavored milk, are sold in a number of kiosks in big shopping malls in Metro Manila.
He emphasized that, aside from education, the answer to poverty–which is the highest in the agriculture sector–is dairy farming, with continuing government support for improving quality and marketability of local dairy products, guiding and developing the youth toward dairy farming, and encouraging dairy farmers to usher their children to dairying.
“Dairy becomes the antidote to poverty in the countryside as it ensures daily cash flow for the farmers and their families. It likewise helps promote increased nutrition in the community, discourages migration to urban areas and generates jobs,” he explained.
“We can move forward together as we create value in each segment of the dairy chain,” Fausto added.
