Filipino meat imports rose by 32%
From January to November, the Philippines has imported 1.1 million tonnes of meat, up by 32% from the same period of 2020. Statistical data showed the country’s meat imports from January to November had already surpassed the full-year volume of 2020 of 894,698.528 tonnes by nearly 22%. Pork is the most imported product in the Filipino market, accounting for 47.73% of the meat imports. Pork imports during the 11-month period more than doubled to 520,932.058 tonnes from 231,140.247 tonnes recorded in the same period of last year, reveals data released by the Filipino Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI).
Pork imports have been the main driver of the overall growth in total meat imports this year due to lower tariff rates and expanded import programs implemented by the government to plug the shortfall in domestic supply and arrest rising retail prices. BAI data showed that imports of pork cuts and pork bellies, which are eligible under the government’s minimum access volume (MAV) import program, reached 203,919.572 tonnes and 52,724.742 tonnes, respectively.
Pork imports under the MAV are levied with lower rates compared to those brought in outside the MAV or out-quota. Imports of pork offals reached 172,115.363 tonnes, while pork fats reached 59,517.911 tonnes, based on BAI data.
BAI data showed that Spain was the country’s top supplier of pork products during the 11-month period: import volume from the European country reached 128,808.305 tonnes. It was followed by Canada at 102,622.342 tonnes and the United States at 64,057.108 tonnes.
Chicken meat imports in the 11-month period were steady (375,736 tonnes). Mechanically deboned meat (MDM) of chicken remained as the top chicken product imported in the country, accounting for 57.87 tonnes of the total chicken meat imports. Brazil was the top supplier of chicken meat products to the Philippines, with 136,899 tonnes It was followed by the United States at 134,900 tonnes.
The country’s beef imports declined by 19.42% to 148,215 tonnes from 183,958 tonnes; buffalo imports plunged 88% year-on-year to 44,527 tonnes, based on official data.
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