The Philippines is projected to import more chicken products next year as demand continues to outpace supply, according to the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) of the United States Department of Agriculture in Manila.
According to the USDA, chicken imports in 2025 are expected to reach 480,000 metric tons (MT), up 2 percent from this year’s 470,000 MT.
Domestic ready-to-cook (RTC) production next year is expected to hit 1.63 million MT, up 3.8 percent from this year’s 1.57 million MT.
“Despite high operating costs primarily due to high domestic corn prices, the chicken meat sector rapidly expanded in the first and second quarters of 2024. FAS Manila anticipates that this growth will generate positive momentum for 2025. The recent decline in imported soybean meal prices, another major component of the broiler feed ration, will carry into 2025 and help offset some of the corn cost in the ration overall,” the USDA reported.
FAS Manila said domestic ready-to-cook chicken consumption is also seen rising 2.9 percent to 2.11 million MT from this year’s 2.05 million MT.
The same report also said local chicken meat consumption is estimated to grow faster than other animal proteins due to economic growth, a sustained increase in population and the continued impact of African swine fever on pork products.
The report also said the slowing inflation will support household chicken consumption as well as the continued expansion of the food service sector.
January-to-July data from the Bureau of Animal Industry show as much as 255.38 million kilograms of chicken meat have been imported, equivalent to 33.7 percent of all imported meat during the period.
Department of Agriculture Bantay Presyo monitoring in select markets in Metro Manila show the prevailing price of whole dressed chicken ranging from P170 up to P230 per kilo.
