The country’s meat imports in the first half of 2017 declined by nearly 13 percent to 280,269.056 metric tons (MT), from 322,013.273 MT a year ago, according to latest data from the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI).
Data obtained by the BusinessMirror from the BAI showed that pork accounted for almost half, or 47.31 percent, of meat products purchased from abroad during the period. On an annual basis, the country’s pork imports declined by 9.70 percent to 132,622.608 MT.
The bulk of pork imports during the period were offals, which accounted for 43 percent of the total volume. Purchases of imported pork offals reached 57,014.272 MT, 7.24 percent lower than the 61,462.927 recorded last year.
Data from the attached agency of the Department of Agriculture also showed that chicken was the second-most bought meat from abroad, accounting for 31.57 percent of total imports. Chicken-meat imports during the period fell by 20.31 percent to 88,489.449 MT, from 111,048.694 MT in January to June 2016.
Mechanically deboned meat (MDM) of chicken accounted for 73.23 percent of the total chicken-meat imports during the period.
Purchases of imported chicken MDM, a raw material mainly used by meat processors, reached 64,808.037 MT, 22.07 percent lower than the 83,165.789 MT recorded a year ago.
Data from the BAI showed that the volume of imported lamb, turkey and buffalo meat was
also lower.
Buffalo-meat imports went down by 30 percent to 13,580.756 MT, from 19,400.074 MT last year.
Purchases of imported lamb and turkey meat declined by 33.83 percent and 31.98 percent, respectively. Lamb-meat imports reached 297.254 MT, while turkey-meat imports amounted to 979.634 MT.
Beef imports, however, expanded 3.51 percent to 44,201.071 MT during the six-month period.
BAI data also showed that purchases of imported duck meat during the January-to-June period rose by 10.96 percent to 98.284 MT, from 88.575 MT recorded a year ago.
The US was the top source of meat products for the Philippines in the first half of the year, accounting for nearly 20 percent of total imports. Philippine meat imports from the US reached 55,925.680 MT.
Germany was another major source of imported meat products for the Philippines. It shipped a total of 35,918.254 MT during the period.
BAI Assistant Director Simeon S. Amurao Jr. earlier told the BusinessMirror that local traders reduced their purchases after international prices went up due to tight global supply.
“Only a few traders are applying for import permits compared to last year. This is still caused by the high price of meat abroad, which has not changed since the start of the year,” Amurao said in an interview.
Meat Importers and Traders Association President Jesus C. Cham said the decline in meat imports is caused by a “confluence of events”.
“We’re seeing a confluence of events that impact negatively on imports—high prices abroad, weak peso, volatile foreign exchange and bans on imports,” Cham told the BusinessMirror in an earlier interview.
“Prices are still trending higher, but increases are not as high as before. Hopefully, prices are already peaking,” he added.