May 4, 2007

Philippine beef imports down 4 percent

Philippine beef imports for the eight months to February 2007 slid to 4 percent to 69,085 tonnes, compared with 72,020 tonnes for the same period in 2005/2006. The decrease was a result of a decline in import volumes from Australia (down 20 percent), India (down 13 percent), and New Zealand (down 8 percent).

The drop is also pointed to a slowdown in the meat processing industry in the Philippines. According to a report released by the United States Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service, there has been a shift from using manufacturing grade beef to lower priced mechanically de-boned meat (MDM) from chickens and turkeys in the meat processing industry.

Imports from Brazil, however, increased by 30 percent due to heightened usage by the retail industry as well as cheaper end foodservice sector. Similarly, imports of US beef also increased by 50 percent over the period, as cheaper cuts (such as hanging tender) are now popular in the foodservice industry as well as the frozen meat retail sector.