Fresh cuts of chicken are displayed and ready to be sold for market goers at the Carbon Public Market. | Niña Mae Oliverio
The Philippines is expected to import more chicken meat next year due to a supply shortage.
According to the US Department of Agriculture, the country’s chicken meat imports are projected to increase by 2.1 percent to 480,000 metric tons in 2025, up from 470,000 metric tons this year. This is because local production cannot meet the growing demand for chicken meat.
“The country’s chicken meat imports are seen “to grow slightly … as demand continues to outpace domestic supply,” the USDA said.
“The country’s chicken meat imports are seen “to grow slightly … as demand continues to outpace domestic supply,” the USDA said.
According to the American agency, Malacañang’s Executive Order No. 62 is expected to facilitate trade and augment the supply of agricultural products including chicken meat, helping to meet the strong market demand over the medium-term.
Issued last June, the order retained the import duty on mechanically deboned chicken at 5 percent until 2028.
READ: Chicken supply in Cebu City stabilizing — DVMF
The country imported 255.38 million kilograms of chicken during the seven months ending in July, up by 2.4 percent, data from the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) showed.
This was about 33.7 percent of the 757.3 million kg of imported meat that arrived during the same period.
Beef alternative
Jesus Cham, president emeritus of the Meat Importers and Traders Association, said imported pork and poultry products are still in brisk demand because local production is not enough.
“The increase in [demand for] beef likely show that consumers are discovering that given the high price of pork and poultry, beef is offering better value for money,” Cham told the Inquirer.
Cham said that despite the rise in import volumes, the market experienced shortages of pork bellies and chicken leg quarters in August and September.