ISRAEL has stated its eagerness to boost economic ties with the Philippines, particularly in the farming sector.

Ilan Fluss, Israel's Ambassador-Designate to the Philippines, stated on Thursday that his country is ready to find ways to support the Philippine dairy industry.

"I would like to say that we will be very happy to work with the chamber of commerce, with the Department of Agriculture, with the Philippine government, and with the Filipino communities and companies in finding ways together how to upgrade the dairy sector in the Philippines,"

Fluss spoke at the Israel Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines' virtual event "Turning Milk to Gold: Dairy Production, Processing, and Management" (ICCP).

According to the envoy, one cow in Israel produces approximately 11,000 liters per year, which is double the amount produced by a European cow.

"We believe the right transfer of knowledge and experience Israel bringing in many sectors and in particular in the dairy sector, there is a lot to be done,"

Yoray Ofek, President of the ICCP, stated.

Agriculture Secretary William Dar stated that the development of the Philippine dairy industry has been hampered by "decades of government neglect and institutional failure."

DAR stated that local milk producers supply about 1% of total demand, with the remainder imported.

They have now stepped up their efforts to find new markets for dairy products. "We have taken significant steps to increase our herd of native dairy carabao and goats, capitalizing on native animals' strong resistance to diseases that are endemic in the Philippine islands."

According to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, dairy output fell by 6.6 percent in the second quarter of this year. Cattle output increased by 32.6 percent, carabao output increased by 26.2 percent, and goat output increased by 23.4%.