MEAT imports increased by 12.6 percent to 1.04 billion kg nine months of the year from 923.16 million kg in the same period in 2023, data from the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) showed.
Pork comprised bulk of the meat imported by the Philippines for the nine months at 517.86 million kg or 49.8 percent of the total. Pork imports for the period was also 12.9 percent higher than the 458.7 million kg recorded in the same period in 2023.
Chicken imports stood at 345.86 million kg or 33.3 percent of the total imported meat from January to September, 6.4 percent higher from 324.98 million kg in 2023.
Beef imports were at 144.02 million kg or 13.8 percent of all meat imports during the period, a 35 percent surge from last year’s beef imports of 106.68 million kg.
BAI said the Philippines imported 30.38 million kg of buffalo, lower by 4 percent from 2023’s 31.66 million kg, while turkey imports jumped by 301 percent to 1.09 million kg from 270,456 kg in 2023.
Lamb imports for the period dropped 12 percent to 566,307 kg from the previous year’s 642,883 kg.
Imported duck meat plummeted by 42 percent to 132,964 kg this year from 2023’s 229,302 kg.
Jess Cham, president emeritus of the Meat Importers and Traders Association, earlier said meat import arrivals are catching up and ample supply is becoming available for the Christmas season.
Based on data from the Department of Agriculture’s Bantay Presyo in select markets in Metro Manila, as of Thursday, prevailing price ranges of pork kasim is at P280 to P360 per kg, pork liempo at P330 to P400 per kg, whole dressed chicken at P145 to P210 per kg, beef rump at P410 to P490 per kg and beef brisket at P320 to P460 per kg.
