The country’s inventory of frozen pork rose by 31.4 percent to 17,240.86 metric tons (MT) in July, from 13,120.94 MT
recorded a year ago, according to data from the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS).
However, NMIS data showed that imported pork inventory as of July 25 was slightly lower than the 17,442.69 MT recorded in June.
Total frozen-pork inventory, including those produced locally, reached 18,504.19 MT, 27 percent higher than the level posted a year ago. Local pork in cold storages accounted for 1,263.33 MT.
Total frozen-pork supply as of July 25, however, was slightly lower than the 19,573.37 MT recorded in June.
NMIS said the data included stock inventory in accredited commercial and in-house cold storage in slaughterhouses and meat-processing plants.
As for dressed chicken, NMIS data showed that inventory in July was up by 20 percent to 13,241.28 MT, from 10,994.94 recorded a year ago.
Of the total inventory of dressed chicken in July, imports accounted for more than 60 percent at 8,606.32 MT. Local poultry in cold storages amounted to 4,634.96 MT.
However, the July inventory of frozen dressed chicken was lower by 5,000 MT, compared to the previous month’s inventory of 18,322.45 MT.
NMIS said the figure does not include fresh chilled chicken and mechanically deboned meat (MDM). Only accredited cold storage facilities were included in the agency’s survey.
Local businesses, including restaurants, usually import pork and chicken to augment their requirements. They are allowed to bring in these commodities under the minimum access-volume (MAV) scheme of the World Trade Organization.
Imported pork within MAV is slapped a tariff of 30 percent, while the out-MAV rate is at 40 percent. The duty for chicken imports is at 40 percent, except for MDM.