Alaska Milk Corp. (AMC) on Wednesday launched its training center which aims to boost the quantity and quality of local milk output through knowledge sharing and exchange programs.
The center, called the Philippine-Netherlands Dairy Excellence Center (PNDEC), was formed through a tripartite memorandum of understanding between AMC, the National Dairy Authority (NDA) and the University of the Philippines Los Baños-Dairy Training and Research Institute (UPDTRI).
“To commemorate our golden jubilee this year and to help our country achieve food security, we are establishing the first-ever corporate-led Philippine-Netherlands Dairy Excellence Center [PNDEC],” said Tarang Gupta, Managing Director of AMC.
“This does not only fortify Alaska Milk’s mission to bring forth nutrition to every plate and glass of Filipino homes but also strengthen the company’s lifelong commitment to bettering the lives of Filipinos as a partner of the government in nation building.”
AMC said the center will be a shared-facility that would offer the following programs: dairy farmer training; farmer-to-farmer exchange programs; exchange of academic materials, publications, and other information; and exchange of research, lectures, and discussions and other special programs.
“As part of the current administration’s 8-point socio-economic agenda, one of the main drivers of our push for growth and employment will be in the agricultural sector,” Senior Agriculture Undersecretary Domingo F. Panganiban said.
“Thus, this Dairy Excellence Center will be of great help to our agriculture, especially the dairy sector, to provide for the growing milk needs of the country.”
Roel van Neerbos, President of Royal FrieslandCampina (RFC), said the inception of the PNDEC started half a year ago.
Van Neerbos said it has been a principle of RFC to “control” the whole milk value chain from the farmers up to the consumers, which he noted as “grass-to-glass” approach.
RFC is the parent company of AMC. AMC became a subsidiary of RFC in 2012.
“We can help with our knowledge of over 150 years to make sure we get much more fresh milk quality from Alaska,” he said.
Van Neerbos noted that RFC is willing to make the necessary investments to sustain the PNDEC, including the construction of a physical center.
“AMC acknowledges that the government cannot solve the problems of society alone. Alaska Milk believes that as capable stakeholders, we must pitch in. The company also believes that spreading our knowledge and investing in the development of local dairy farmers is an important part of our responsibility,” AMC said.
“Under our grass-to-glass motto, through PNDEC, providing training and other platforms to our local farmers for more sustainable dairy farming will make their lives better and also help achieve food security for our nation.”
The Philippines only produces a percentage of its annual milk requirements. It imports 99 percent of its milk needs from other countries.