The country’s meat imports from January to August rose by 2 percent to over 550,000 metric tons (MT) on the back of 30-percent expansion in purchase of chicken meat and beef from abroad, Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) data showed.
Latest BAI data showed that total meat imports during the eight-month period reached 552,509.226 MT, which was 10,405.507 MT higher than the 542,103.718 MT recorded in the same period of last year.
BAI data indicated that higher chicken meat and beef imports were the driver for the increment during the reference period.
The double-digit growth in both chicken meat and beef were more than enough to offset the 40-percent reduction in pork purchases abroad.
Chicken meat imports during the eight-month period rose by 33.73 percent to 267,855.466 MT from 200,292.678 MT on the back of higher mechanically deboned meat (MDM) purchased by local meat processors based on BAI data.
Chicken MDM grew 33.81 percent to 181,560.553 MT from 135,689.677 MT last year, BAI data showed. Chicken MDM is one of the primary raw materials of local meat processors in producing products, such as hot dogs, chicken nuggets, siomai and other canned products.
BAI data also showed that beef imports expanded by nearly 40 percent to 126,951.254 MT from 90,851.661 MT recorded in the same period of last year.
Bulk of the beef imports were combined cuts and choice cuts which accounted for two-thirds of the total volume, or about 95,232.337 MT, based on BAI data.
BAI data showed that the country’s pork imports declined by 39.3 percent to 137,131.272 MT from 225,917.601 MT due to higher international prices of the meat product caused by tight global supply.
Netherlands was the top meat import source of the Philippines accounting for 17.6 percent of the total volume during the eight-month period, or about 97,240.502 MT.
Bulk of the meat imports from Netherlands, or about 82,916.434 MT were chicken meat products, majority of which are MDM, BAI data showed.
The European country was followed by Brazil at 92,924.306 MT, with more than half of which being chicken meat products, mostly MDM, BAI data also showed.
The country’s eight-month meat imports from the United States reached 89,311.252 MT, with more than half being chicken meat products, especially chicken leg quarters, based on BAI data.