The country’s chicken egg output in the second quarter expanded by nearly 8 percent to 131,100 metric tons (MT) from 121,450 MT recorded in the same period last year, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
The PSA attributed the increase to the expansion of commercial layer farms in Luzon and in Mindanao due to higher demand for table eggs.
“Better egg-laying efficiency and expansion of layer commercial farms were noted in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos region, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Bicol region, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas and Zamboanga Peninsula,” the PSA said in a report recently.
“In Soccsksargen, the continued increase in chicken egg production was in response to market demand for table eggs in some parts of Mindanao,” it added.
Calabarzon region remained as the top producer of table eggs during the April-to-June period as it accounted for 29.27 percent of the total output. The region produced 38,370 MT of chicken eggs, 2.27 percent higher than the 37,517 MT recorded a year ago.
“This was followed by Central Luzon with 24,950 MT, and Northern Mindanao with 13,080 MT,” the PSA said.
“These three [3] regions accounted for 58.28 percent of the chicken egg production,” it added.
Due to a higher volume of production, farm-gate prices of table eggs during the three-month period fell by 7.18 percent year-on-year.
During the April-to-June period, the average quotation of chicken eggs at the farm level was at P4.35 per piece, compared to the P4.69 per piece average recorded a year ago.
“From 2016 to 2018, the highest recorded increment in chicken egg farm-gate price was in 2017 with P4.69 per piece, or 6.76-percent growth rate,” the PSA said.
The country’s total laying flock population in the second quarter reached 53.93 million birds, 6.03 percent higher than the 50.87 million birds recorded in the same period last year.
“Of the total inventory of laying flock, 58.06 percent were foreign strain layer chicken and the rest were native/improved chicken,” the PSA said.
The country’s layer flock inventory as of July 1 expanded by 8.25 percent to 31.31 million birds, from 28.92 million birds a year ago.
Native/improved laying flock inventory grew by 3.09 percent to 22.62 million birds, from 21.94 million birds last year.
During the three-month period, duck egg production rose by almost 5 percent to 12,903 MT, from 12,310 MT on the back of higher balut demand.
“There was improved egg laying efficiency ratio in duck farms in Calabarzon, Mimaropa region, Bicol region, Central Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula and Soccsksargen,” the PSA said.
“Sustained demand for balut-making was reported in Zamboanga Peninsula and Davao region,” it added.
The country’s total inventory of laying flock as of July 1 expanded by 2.6 percent to 5.84 million birds, from 5.69 million birds during the same period last year.