The country imported 9.6 percent more meat in the first half of the year than in the same period last year, data from the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) showed.
BAI said meat imports stood at 647.7 million kilograms (kg) in the first half from 590.8 million kg last year, with pork making up 317 million kg or 48.9 percent of total.
Pork imports rose 10.7 percent from last year’s 286.3 million kg.
Chicken imports stood at 221.6 million kg or 34.2 percent of all imported meat and higher by 4.1 percent from 212.8 million kg.
Beef imports rose 29.3 percent to 84.9 million kg from 65.7 million kg or 13.1 percent of all meat imports.
Buffalo imports fell 8.7 percent to 23.1 million kg from 25.3 million kg while turkey imports jumped 539.8 percent to 722,529 kg from 112,923 kg.
Lamb imports also declined 22.4 percent to 327,379 kg from the previous year’s 422,137 kg while imported duck meat went down by 47.4 percent to 85,855 kg from 163,342 kg.
The United States Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) Manila earlier said the Philippines is likely to import more beef, carabeef and pork products by 2025 as local production will continue to outweigh demand.
