Meat imports up 50% as PH battles animal diseases

The Philippines increased its meat imports by almost 50 percent in January, as traders bought more pork, chicken and beef from abroad on the back of the continued spread of animal diseases here.

Overseas meat purchases totaled 137.999 million kilograms as of January from 92.02 million kg recorded in the same month a year ago, based on data from the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI).

Significant increases in the purchases of imported pork, chicken and beef drove meat imports during the period.

Pork alone accounted for more than half of the overall volume, holding a share of 51.05 percent. The volume of imported pork, mostly pork cuts and offals, totaled 70.5 million kg, rising by 65.3 percent.

Chicken was a distant second with 33.06 percent, or 45.63 million kg, of the total. It was 48.2 percent higher than last year.

Importers mostly purchased mechanically deboned chicken or mechanically separated meat, which are used in manufacturing various food products such as hotdogs, patties and sausages.

Beef was third with a share of 14.4 percent or 19.9 million kg, rising by almost 51 percent.

The country also bought buffalo (1.93 million kg), lamb (65,249 kg), duck (18,544 kg) and turkey (7,500 kg) in January.

Brazil remains the leading source of imported meat with a market share of 40.13 percent. The United States came next with 16.5 percent and Spain, 10.7 percent.

Under Executive Order No. 62, the tariff rate on swine, fresh, chilled or frozen meat was retained at 15 percent for in-quota and 25 percent for out-quota shipment.

On the other hand, the import duty on mechanically deboned or separated meat of chicken and turkey was set at 5 percent.

The Philippines continues to grapple with bird flu and African swine fever (ASF).

Although the country is not yet free of avian influenza, the BAI noted that no positive cases were recorded as of March 7.

The bureau has not recorded ongoing cases with the completion of culling or depopulation and surveillance activities within the 1-kilometer radius in previously reported cases.

On the other hand, the BAI said the country had active ASF cases in 18 provinces and eight regions as of Feb. 28.