School feeding boosts dairy farmers

The Marcos administration’s expanded School-Based Feeding Program is expected to provide a major boost to the local dairy industry, with more than P3 billion allocated for the procurement of locally produced milk while helping improve the nutrition of about 4.5 million public school learners.

“This school year, our School-Based Feeding Program will continue as an effective support for education. Through this program, we will provide meals to more than 4.5 million kindergarten and Grade 1 pupils, as well as Grade 2 and higher learners who are most in need of nutritional support,” President Marcos said.

NDA Administrator Atty. Marcus Antonius T. Andaya said the program benefits both children and local dairy producers by creating sustained demand for fresh milk sourced from Filipino farmers.

“The School-Based Feeding Program demonstrates how a single government initiative can address multiple national priorities. It improves the nutrition of Filipino children while creating a stable and dependable market for locally produced milk, enabling our dairy farmers to increase production, improve herd quality, and strengthen their livelihoods,” Andaya said.

Earlier this month, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Education signed a Joint Administrative Order institutionalizing the nationwide implementation of the milk-feeding program.

Under the initiative, more than ₱3 billion worth of locally produced milk will be procured from dairy farmer cooperatives and processors through the Sagip Saka Law. The milk-feeding component will run for an average of 25 feeding days nationwide and directly benefit 113 dairy farmer cooperatives and processors.

The NDA said the long-term procurement program provides farmers with greater market certainty, encouraging them to expand production, improve herd quality and invest in their dairy operations.

During the program’s launch in Bulacan, Marcos also underscored the importance of prioritizing locally produced food in government programs.

“We have seen another important benefit of this program—it supports our local suppliers. We always give priority to them. As much as possible, the government ensures that the products it purchases are locally produced,” the President said.

The NDA said it will continue working with the Department of Agriculture, Department of Education, Philippine Carabao Center, local government units, dairy cooperatives and milk processors to ensure a steady supply of safe, nutritious and locally produced milk for public school learners while supporting the growth of the country’s dairy industry.