Demand for locally-produced milk on the rise – Dairy coop
The Cebu Federation of Dairy Cooperative (CEFEDCO), a producer of dairy products in Cebu, sees increased daily production amid the increasing local demand for milk.
In an interview with reporters yesterday, CEFEDCO President Joseph Durado said the cooperative, composed of around 700 cow farmers in Cebu, are now supplying milk products to various coffee shops and supermarkets in Cebu.
It is now supplying Bo's Coffee, Coffee Bean, Krispy Kreme, Metro Ayala, Robinsons Fuente, S&R, and Seattle's Best Coffee, among others.
Yesterday, the Department of Trade and Industry formally turned over to CEFEDCO a P3.37-million milk processing facility, under the agency's shared service facility (SSF) project.
The facility, Durado said, will help the cooperative produce a big volume of milk and cope up with the demand in the market.
The facility includes a homogenizer, modification of piping system in the process line, plate heat exchanger, cream separator, condensing unit for ice bank and secondary storage.
CEFEDCO, composed of at least 20 dairy primary cooperatives in Cebu, produces fresh milk, low-fat milk, non-fat milk and chocolate flavored milk under its Cebu Dairy Fresh brand.
Durado said he sees the demand for locally-produced fresh milk to increase despite the presence of commercialized fresh milk products in supermarkets. "The demand is there," he said. The cooperative's milk processing plant, which is located in Consolacion, Cebu, has been operational since 1991.
The Cebu milk producer used to process 680 liters of milk a day.
Now with its new facility, CEFEDCO is now capable of processing 1,200 liters of milk daily, allowing it to generate sales of P100,000 a day from the usual P40,000.
The new facility would also accommodate the increasing volume of milk produced in Cebu.
Farmers in Cebu have helped revived the growth of the local dairy industry.
There is also a need to address the growing demand for locally-made dairy products, considering that most dairy goods available in the market today are imported from other countries like New Zealand.
Aside from milk products, CEFEDCO also produces cheese, butter, yogurt, pastillas and milk chocolate bar, etc.
Cow farmers supplying milk to the cooperative are from various towns in Cebu such as Barili, Dalaguete, Argao, Liloan, Consolacion and Cebu City's upland barangays.
Durado said the dairy cattle that the federation's farmers have are imported from New Zealand.
1991, the National Dairy Authority started the construction of the P12-million dairy plant in Barangay Pitogo in Consolacion town.
The plant was turned over to the federation in 1992.
In June 2003, the cooperative was granted a P10-million loan from the Agriculture Competitiveness Enhancement Fund, which was partly used to buy milk sterilization equipment sets and automated fill-seal machines.