August 29, 2007

 

Philippines to import 3 million kilos of chicken in Q4

 

 

Philippine Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap on Tuesday (August 28) said the country is mulling an importation of three million kilos of chicken to meet the demand for the product in the last quarter of 2007.

 

Yap said the stakeholders recently agreed to bring in chicken imports which are expected to arrive on or before November of this year.

 

The volume, he said, is not even one percent of the country's annual chicken consumption of 450 million heads.

 

Yap explained the country's current chicken shortfall was also the reason for the increase in egg prices due to the poultry growers' decision to cut down on egg production. Poultry producers decided to focus on chicken production in the first quarter of the year due to their excess importation in the last quarter of 2006.

 

The sector imported about three to five million kilos from December 2006 to January 2007 as they are expecting an increase in demand for the holiday season.

 

However, the demand fell short from the imports thus the glut of supply during the first quarter of the year.

 

But the poultry sector was also affected by the dry spell that recently hit some parts of the country in the second quarter which has now led to the supply shortage this quarter.

 

Yap said growers are experiencing a longer grow-out period due to the dry spell, thus requiring the government to import chicken.

 

While an initial three million has been agreed upon by the United Broilers and Raisers Association (UBRA), the Philippine Association of Broilers and Integrators (PABI), and other stakeholders to be imported from September to November this year, Yap said, there is a possibility to allow more chicken imports in preparation for the traditional increase in demand for the Christmas season.

 

Yap has already advised producers to load up for the holidays as the three million imports is just an initial volume.

 

On the other hand, the agriculture chief said he is still weighing the merits of allowing the sale of eggs by the kilo instead of the current practice of selling by the piece.