June 3, 2026

 

Poultry products in Philippines concerned over falling farmgate chicken prices

 

 

Poultry raisers in the Philippines have raised concerns over declining farmgate prices for chicken, citing weaker demand and an oversupply of production.

 

United Broiler Raisers Association president Elias Jose Inciong said farmgate prices for locally produced chicken have remained under pressure due to softer consumer demand and increased domestic output.

 

"Normally, this time of the year, because of the humidity, it is hard to produce even if you have modern facilities. It's really demand and oversupply. There is no problem in production," Inciong told reporters.

 

UBRA had previously warned that demand for broiler chicken had weakened as the ongoing conflict in the Middle East continued to push fuel prices higher.

 

He noted that higher fuel costs had reduced consumers' purchasing power, leading many Filipinos to cut back on chicken purchases.

 

Inciong said chicken farmers are incurring losses as the cost of raising chicks has increased despite persistently low farmgate prices, adding that some producers may be discouraged from continuing poultry operations.

 

"This is really concerning because if they become discouraged, importing hatchlings will be expensive because of the exchange rate," he said.

 

Inciong also warned that farmgate chicken prices could fall further to around ₱70/kg (US$1.25/kg) once poultry harvesting begins at the end of May.

 

"By the end of the month, once the harvest begins, it could collapse. There was a time when the farmgate hit ₱70/kg (US$1.25/kg)," he added.

 

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, local chicken production reached 585,470 metric tonnes in the first quarter of 2026, up 5.8% from 553,450 metric tonnes recorded during the same period a year earlier.

- The Philippine Star