January-April meat imports up 11%

MANILA, Philippines — The country’s meat imports from January to April grew by 11 percent to almost 400,000 metric tons (MT), driven by higher purchases of pork and chicken.

Latest Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) data showed that total meat imports during the four-month period reached 396,385 MT, up 11.3 percent from 356,019 MT recorded in the same period in 2023.

The higher purchases of pork, beef and chicken from abroad lifted the overall import volume during the reference period, based on the government data.

The country imported 193,146 MT of pork, up 18 percent from 163,690 MT in the same period a year ago.

BAI data also showed that imports of pork bellies grew by more than half to 26,546 MT from 16,795 MT.

Likewise, purchases of pork cuts expanded by 66.5 percent year-on-year to 68,510 MT from 41,139 MT.

Chicken purchases inched up by 2.4 percent to 134,465 MT from 131,297 MT, based on BAI data.

Imports of chicken leg quarters during the four-month period grew by 12.6 percent to 41,571 MT from 36,9222 MT.

Imports of mechanically deboned meat of chicken, a raw material used by meat processors, reached 68,686 MT, down by three percent from last year’s 71,070 MT.

Data showed the imports of beef during the four-month period rose by more than a fifth to 51,527 MT from last year’s 42,271 MT.

On the other hand, the country’s buffalo meat imports declined by almost 10 percent to 16,543 MT from 18,310 MT recorded volume in the same period last year.

The higher meat imports could be attributed to some importers already bringing in their stocks in anticipation of higher prices abroad coupled by a weaker peso and drop in domestic output due to El Niño, the Meat Importers and Traders Association (MITA) said.

“As these arrivals were contracted more than three months ago, the impact of the suspension of the pork quota most likely has not been felt. We will see in the next few months how it will affect imports,” MITA president emeritus Jesus Cham said.

The industry earlier noted that consumers have been looking for cheaper alternative to pork, such as chicken and perhaps now beef.

The country has been grappling with production woes caused by the African swine fever and bird flu on pork and chicken supplies, respectively.

“Beef cuts also registered a significant increase albeit choice cuts decreased. Perhaps, the high retail price of pork is pushing consumers toward mid-range beef,” Cham said.