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Philippine imports of meat, meat products up 16% in 2022
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines imported 16.4 percent more meat and meat products last year, driven mainly by higher pork shipments, according to the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI).
The BAI data showed the country imported 1.36 billion kilos of meat and meat products last year compared to the previous year’s 1.17 billion kilos.
Pork imports accounted for more than half of the total meat, or 52 percent, at 710.36 million kilos. The 2022 figure was also 28.06 percent higher than the 554.7 million kilos shipped in 2021.
The volume of imported pork breached the estimates of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), which forecasted pork imports to reach 550,000 metric tons (MT) or 550 million kilos in 2022.
The pork imports were driven by the extended reduced tariffs on pork imports under Executive Order (EO) 171.
Pork cuts accounted for highest imports, with 314.77 million kilos, while offals – or internal organs – was next at 217.55 million kilos.
The top sources of pork are Spain (222.08 million kilos), Canada (127.31 million kilos), and Brazil (79.11 million kilos).
Chicken was the second major imported meat for the period, accounting for 30.3 percent of the total.
The BAI data showed chicken imports reached 411.07 million kilos, inching up by 1.57 percent from 404.71 million kilos in the same period in 2021.
Chicken imports last year were lower than the 435,000 MT or 435 million kilos forecasted by the USDA.
Deboned chicken meat was the top imported product at 243.22 million kilos, followed by chicken leg quarters at 102.69 million kilos.
The top three sources of chicken meat were Brazil (235.26 million kilos), the US ( 122.93 million kilos) and Australia (12.84 million kilos).
Figures from BAI also showed beef imports accounted for 13.72 percent of the total.
The volume of beef shipped increased by 17.29 percent from 158.71 million kilos to 186.15 million kilos.
The country also imported duck (48,518 kilos), lamb (773,141 kilos) and turkey (510,775 kilos).
Source: https://www.philstar.com/business/2023/01/09/2236212/philippine-imports-meat-meat-products-16-2022