Senator Cynthia Villar has pushed for the immediate passage of a bill strengthening the livestock, poultry and dairy (LPD) industries to improve production and ensure food security in the country.

“These industries play a significant role in food security, and accounts for a more than a quarter agricultural output in 2023,” Villar said in a news release on Monday.

She said Senate Bill (SB) 2558 or “An Act Strengthening the Livestock, Poultry and Dairy Development and Competitiveness, Rationalizing the Organization and Functions of Relevant Government Agencies, Creating an Competitiveness Enhancement Fund Therefor” will advance the development, and promote the competitiveness of LPD sectors.

She said pork and chicken account for approximately 29.8 percent of the Filipino protein consumption.

“The high cost of these commodities, making them unaffordable to most Filipinos, may lead to protein deficiency and contribute to malnutrition,” she said.

She said imported milk in the country accounts for 99 percent of supply which makes milk unavailable and unaffordable to the growing population.

Local milk production, on the other hand, is struggling and needs a boost to cope with and address the local demand, especially on the milk feeding programs in schools and other institutions, she said.

The hog sector, meanwhile, is still struggling against the African swine fever (ASF) since 2019 and needs to recover to support small hold raisers and commercial farms to support basic food needs for pork.

The ASF is responsible for the PHP100-billion loss to the sector.

The poultry sector, she said, also needs sustainable inputs such as feeds, medicines against pests and diseases and more efficient production systems.

“For the longest time, the LPD sector has been left to be run by the private sector. Now, with this Act, the government will actively support and participate in the development of the sector,” she said. (PNA)