July 24, 2007

Philippine agriculture department assure of stable chicken supply, prices

Despite the recent rise of chicken in the last three weeks, the Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA) assured the public of a stable price and supply of the meat. 

Chicken prices have soared to P120 (US$2.67) per kilogramme from P110 (US$2.45) but this will normalise to its original price of P95 to P110/kg in the last week of August, according to Agriculture assistant secretary Salvador S. Salacup.

Egg prices were also slightly up to P4.10 from P4 a piece.

Agriculture Secretary Arthur C. Yap assures that the hike in chicken retail cost should be only temporary as poultry growers "have already loaded their farms in response to the supply discrepancy as costs of materials have increased by 11 percent whilst chicken prices only rose by 9 percent".

Poultry growers said they have been "conservative" in loading up their farms because of the lack of supply of day-old chicks due to the bird flu scare in the region as well as the high prices of corn-based feeds and its substitutes.

Bureau of Animal Industry Executive Director Davinio Catbagan said he sees no need to import chicken, and that domestic supply should last until Christmas. This is in response to the report by the National Meat Inspection Service that chicken supplies were tight last week as only 1,994 tonnes of local and imported frozen dressed chicken have been available in the market compared to 2,834 tonnes in the same period last year.

As for fisheries and aquaculture, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Director Malcolm U. Sarmiento said supplies of tilapia and bangus (milkfish) is at steady levels in the main Luzon production centres. Prices for tilapia range from P65-P70 (medium size) and bangus P75-P80 (medium size) in 30 major wet markets all over Metro Manila monitored by the DA.

US$1 = P44.828 ( as of July 24)