THE country’s meat imports from January to April fell by 2 percent to 267,916.831 metric tons (MMT) due to disruptions in global trade caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and African Swine Fever (ASF).
Total meat imports during the four-month period declined by nearly 53,000 MT from 273,208.717 MT in the same period last year, Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) data analyzed by the BusinessMirror showed.
BAI data showed that the 97-percent increase in chicken meat imports was not enough to offset the -46 percent decline in pork imports during the reference period.
Chicken meat imports, which accounted for 54 percent of total meat imports, rose by 46.5 percent to 144,780.558 MT from 98,827.846
Imports of chicken cuts more than doubled to 18,667.207 MT while imports of chicken leg quarters rose by more than a third to 38,398.612 MT, BAI data showed.
BAI data also showed that imports of mechanically deboned meat (MDM) of chicken expanded by 40.4 percent to 84,852.008 MT as local meat processors sustained operations to ensure supply of processed meat products amid the months-long community quarantine in Luzon.
Pork imports during the four-month period declined by 46 percent to 62,658.99 MT from 116,182.773 MT recorded in the January-to-April period of 2019, BAI data showed.
Industry players have pointed out that pork has become too expensive in the global market as ASF continues to disrupt world meat trade.
BAI data showed that buffalo meat imports declined by 10 percent to 11,792.728 MT, while beef imports rose 6.3 percent to 47,651.198 MT.
BAI data also showed that lamb meat imports nearly doubled to 461.058 MT.
In an earlier interview, Meat Importers and Traders Association (Mita) President Jesus C. Cham said many industry players are now facing a “cash crunch” after incurring huge losses since the start of the ECQ due to the shutdown of clients and lack of cold-storage space to store their goods.
Mita estimates that importers and traders are incurring losses of about P15.485 million every day as they cannot unload stocks in cold storage due to lack of market worsened by shipments idle on shore.
This is equivalent to cumulative losses of nearly P700 million to P929 million, based on the lockdown duration of 45 to 60 days.
The Cold Chain Association of the Philippines estimates that cold storages are already 95 percent full, with meat products accounting for bulk of the content.
Local producers like United Broiler Raisers Association (Ubra) have been urging the Department of Agriculture (DA) to suspend the importation of poultry meat and poultry products to ease the local glut and avert the possible collapse of the poultry industry.
In an earlier letter to Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar, Ubra President Elias Jose Inciong said the “oversupply of broilers in the market” has “gravely damaged the poultry industry.”
The glut in local production, caused by a confluence of events such as higher output, closure of markets and high import inventory, has pulled down farm-gate prices below profitable levels for small and medium growers.
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