ASF prompts more meat imports

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines is set to buy more pork and chicken from the global market as African swine fever (ASF) reduces local supply amid growing consumer demand.

In the latest report of the US Department of Agriculture-Foreign Agricultural Service, the Philippines is seen to import 350,000 metric tons of pork in 2020 – 32 percent higher than this year’s expected 265,000 MT.

Domestic production is seen to decline 16 percent to 1.4 million MT from 1.67 million MT this year.

“As pork production falls sharply, chicken meat production and imports of both pork and chicken meat will rise. Elevated chicken supplies will spur consumption to exceed that of pork,” USDA said.

The Philippines will also hike its chicken meat imports next year by 27 percent to 400,000 MT from this year’s 315,000 MT.

Local production, which will only increase by 10 percent, will not be able to meet additional domestic consumption of 13 percent of nearly two million MT from 1.76 million MT.

“The Philippines’ imports are forecast up 27 percent as consumers transition from pork to increasingly price-competitive chicken,” USDA said.

Meanwhile, global production will dip 10 percent to 95.2 million MT due to the impact of ASF on swine herds in several major producing countries.

Worldwide consumption of pork will likewise go down by almost the same level.

“Most of the reduction in global production is due to a 25 percent decline in China pork production. Production is also lower in the Philippines and Vietnam,” USDA said.