The volume of both meat imports and so-called fish unloading volume across all regional fish ports around the country, dropped in January this year.
According to data from the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), the Philippines imported 76.52 million kilograms (kg) of meat during the month, down 10.8 percent from the year-ago imports of 85.82 million kilograms.
Chicken made up the bulk of imports at 30.34 million kg or 39.6 percent of all meat entering the country. This was also 6.8 percent higher compared to January 2022’s chicken imports of 28.4 million kg.
Pork followed with 30.28 million kg or 39.57 percent of all imported meat in January this year. Pork imports for the period dropped 27.8 percent from January 2022 volume totaling 41.98 million kg.
The BAI report also showed beef imports totaling 12.51 million kg or 16.3 percent of all meat imports during the month, which was 17.1 percent lower than the 13.47 million kg of beef imports in January 2022.
The Philippines also imported 3.33 million kg of buffalo meat, an 80 percent jump from January 2022’s 1.85 million kg while turkey imports slumped 85 percent to 17,426 kg from 116,442 kg in January 2022.
Lamb imports in January 2023 was also totaled 27,739 kg while duck imports were at 22,992 kg. There were no lamb and duck meat imports in January 2022.
So-called fish unloading volume across all regional fish ports showed a slight drop in January this year, according to the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA).
The PFDA said total fish unloading volume in January this year totaled 37,900.16 metric tons (MT) compared against January 2022’s 38,411.45 MT.
On a month-to-month basis, this January’s unloading volume was also 16.4 percent lower compared to December 2022’s 45,355.24 MT.
The agency said the diminished unloading volume was due to the combined effects of bad weather and the northeast monsoon that brought heavy rains and thunderstorms that, in turn, significantly affected the operations of all PFDA ports throughout the country.
The regional fish ports under PFDA monitoring include Bulan in Sorsogon; Sual in Pangasinan; General Santos; Davao; Zamboanga; Lucena in Quezon Province; Iloilo; and Navotas.
Latest monitoring of public markets in the National Capital Region show prevailing per kilogram retail price as of Friday ranging from P380 to 500 for beef rump; P350 to 420 per for beef brisket; P270 to P330 for pork kasim; P300 to P400 for pork liempo; P150 to P220 for milkfish; P110 to P160 for tilapia; P150 to P280 for local galunggong; P240 to P260 for imported galunggong; and P260 to P360 for alumahan.
In the same period, the price for a whole dressed chicken ranged from P155 to P210 per kg.
| MEAT TYPE | 2023 (KG) | 2022 (KG) | PERCENT CHANGE |
| BEEF | 12,511,539 | 13,472,430 | -17.1 |
| BUFFALO | 3,332,000 | 1,848,000 | 80 |
| CHICKEN | 30,335,454 | 28,402,043 | 6.8 |
| DUCK | 22,992 | 0 | – |
| LAMB | 27,739 | 0 | – |
| PORK | 30,276,542 | 41,979,212 | -27.8 |
| TURKEY | 17,426 | 116,442 | -85 |
| TOTAL | 76,523,692 | 85,818,127 | -10.8 |
PH MEAT IMPORTS COMPARISON JANUAR 2023 VS JANUARY 2022
SOURCE: BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY
REGIONAL FISH PORTS UNLOADING VOLUME
| JANUARY 2023 (MT) | JANUARY 2022 (MT) | PERCENT CHANGE |
| 37,900.16 | 38,411.45 | -1.3 |
| JANUARY 2023 (MT) | DECEMBER 2022 (MT) | |
| 37,900.16 | 45,355.24 | -16.4 |
SOURCE: PFDA
