The country’s milk imports last year fell slightly to 2.936 million metric tons in liquid milk equivalent (MMT-LME) from the 2.969 million liters-LME recorded in 2019, latest National Dairy Authority (NDA) data showed.
While the volume of imports dropped by only 1 percent, the value of total milk products last year declined by 8.2 percent to P53.696 billion from P58.498 billion in 2019 due to a stronger peso and lower unit cost.
NDA data showed that the average unit cost of imported milk products last year was at P18.29 per liter, compared to the P19.70 per liter recorded in 2019.
Data from the attached agency of the Department of Agriculture also indicated that foreign exchange rate last year averaged P49.62 per dollar compared to P51.80 per dollar in 2019.
NDA data showed that dairy imports declined across all types of milk products except for skim milk powder, cheese and curd.
Skim milk powder imports, which accounts for about half of total dairy imports, last year grew 7.67 percent to 1.439 MMT-LME from 1.336 MMT-LME in 2019.
NDA data showed that imports of cheese last year grew by 3.42 percent to 125,440 MT while curd imports expanded by 14.26 percent to 45,830 MT.
“Powdered milk accounts for 79 percent of the imports,” the agency said.
NDA data revealed that the United States remained as the country’s top source of imported dairy products as it cornered 38.26 percent of total volume last year.
The Philippines imported 1.123 MMT-LME of milk and milk products from the US last year, which was almost 50 percent higher than the 750,090 MT-LME it bought in 2019.
NDA data also indicated that the value of dairy imports from the United States expanded by 43.12 percent to $324.74 million from $226.89 million in 2019.
The agency said New Zealand remained as the country’s second top source of dairy products as it accounted for 23.23 percent of total imports last year.
NDA reported that the volume of milk and milk products imports from New Zealand declined by 9 percent to 682,050 MT-LME while its value fell by 21.43 percent to $324.74 million. J
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