MANILA, Nov. 26 -- The Department of Agriculture (DA) and the National Dairy Authority (NDA) on Tuesday launched the General Tinio Stock farm in Nueva Ecija, which will serve as a new model for the government's herd expansion program.

In a statement on Wednesday, DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the PHP59 million worth of stock farm will help address the shortage of productive dairy animals in the Philippines.

The level of local milk production remains a challenge in the country's industry.

"Hindi na tayo papayag na manatiling mababa ang milk sufficiency ng bansa (We will not allow our milk sufficiency to remain low)," Tiu Laurel said.

To date, the NDA said it has reached 2.3 percent out of its 2.5 percent target milk suffic...