Meat imports in 2024 rose 20.4 percent to 1.45 billion kilograms (kg) from 1.2 billion kg in 2023, data from the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) showed.
When sought for comment, Danilo Fausto, Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food Inc. president, said the surge in meat imports last year can be attributed to the continued effects of the African swine fever (ASF) and avian influenza (AI) to the local production of meat.
BAI data showed October 2024 recorded the biggest volume of imported meat last year at 150.84 million kg or 10.4 percent of the total imported volume for the entire year.
Brazil was the biggest supplier of imported meat last year at 395.88 million kg, or 36.9 percent of all meat that entered the country.
Pork made up the bulk of imported meat at 733.73 million kg or 50.61 percent of total, and representing a 23.96-percent increase from 591.89 million kg imported in 2023.
Chicken was the next biggest meat import at 472.21 million kg or 32.57 percent of all imported meat in 2024. Chicken imports last year went up by 10.69 percent from 2023’s 426.62 million kg.
Beef imports stood at 203.9 million kg or 14.06 percent of all meat imports in 2024 and a 40.62 percent jump from 145 million kg in 2023.
The data showed other imports are: buffalo meat at 37.8 million kg, down by 3.08 percent from 2023’s 38.99 million kg; turkey, 1.35 million kg, up by 92.6 percent from 698,682 kg; lamb, 653,268 kg, down 10.3 percent from 727,956 kg and; duck meat, 221,964 kg, down 26.53 percent from 302,105 kg.
Fausto said the Department of Agriculture must expedite the commercial release of vaccines for African swine fever and avian influenza or the local sector will have no option but to continue sourcing imported supply “to the detriment of our livestock and poultry producers.”
