Pet food sales in the Philippines is estimated to grow 9 percent this year to $434 million, more or less P23 billion in local currency, from last year’s $397 million, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The report dated January 26, 2023 projects boosted sales of dry and wet pet food as well as treats and mixers.
“As pets became more popular household companions, especially during the pandemic, pet ownership and pet food sales have grown immensely over the past five years. Dog and cat food exports from the United States (US) reached record-high sales of $51 million in 2021,” the report said.
It noted many Filipinos who previously were not pet owners acquired a pet during the pandemic, as recent studies show animal companionship serves as a healthy coping mechanism.
Dog food form the bulk of pet food sales with sales projected to hit $360 million or P19.6 billion. The dog population in the Philippines, the USDA similarly noted, is the fifth largest in the world.
Cat food sales is seen to hit $69 million this year from 2022’s $61 million as more condominium dwellers prefer cats “given their quiet nature and comfort with indoor living.”
Citing data from a 2021 Rakuten survey in Asia, the Philippines ranked the highest in dog ownership at 67 percent and the second-highest in cat ownership at 43 percent in the region.
The USDA projects minimal growth in pet food sales or birds, fishes and small mammals or reptiles at only $5 million this year. The same averaged $4 million since 2017.
According to the USDA, even if more local manufacturers more recently showed interest in selling pet food of their own, most pure-breed pet owners still prefer imported pet food the bulk of which come from Thailand, the US and Europe.
The USDA also said the majority of stores selling pet food are in Metro Manila and key cities around the country, mostly in supermarkets, mom and pop stores, hypermarkets and warehouse clubs, and pet shops.
Retail chains such as SM Retail, S&R and Landers even developed private labels to offer lower priced pet food, the agency noted.
Most pet food brands have their own online stores and official stores in online retail platforms.
