THE COUNTRY’S chicken supply remains sufficient for more than 100 days amid the threat of a potentially strong El Niño that may persist until early next year, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said on Thursday, October 8.
DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the country’s current chicken stock is considered “fairly healthy.”
“Ang supply natin ng manok for the country, 125 days ang supply natin sa ngayon, medyo healthy yun, marami yun. Actually sa pork, 170 days ang ating supply, base sa datos,” he told reporters.
Tiu Laurel added: “Normally, ‘pag mainit, bababa talaga ang production ng manok. But with the 125 days supply na continuous naman nare-replenish, bumaba man nang konti, baka bumaba sa 90 to 80, 70, safe pa naman ‘yan,” Tiu Laurel added.
The United Broiler Raisers Association (UBRA) said on October 7 that chicken prices had increased by P10 per kilo amid supply concerns.
UBRA said some retailers opted to raise their prices due to tighter supply.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Philippines’ chicken meat imports are forecast to rise to 780,000 metric tons (MT) in 2027 to meet growing demand from the food manufacturing and food service industries.
The USDA projected that next year’s import volume will be 14.7 percent higher than the estimated 680,000 MT in 2026.
Meanwhile, corn production, which is crucial for hog and poultry feed, is already being affected by the weather phenomenon.
“Well, ang tinamaan na ngayon actually is corn. Lalo na dun sa Isabela. Kaya tumaas ang presyo ng corn ngayon,” Tiu Laurel said.
The DA has been pushing to increase the country’s minimum access volume for corn to 500,000 MT to help cushion hog and poultry producers from potentially higher feed costs amid the threat of El Niño. (GMA News)
