THE nation’s meat imports in January fell by 16 p.c to 60,182.847 metric tons (MT) from 71,914.542 MT, pulled down by rooster imports that plunged 60 p.c, Bureau of Animal Business (BAI) knowledge confirmed.
Newest BAI knowledge analyzed by the BusinessMirror confirmed that the 60-percent discount in rooster meat imports was greater than sufficient to tug down general quantity regardless of double-digit progress charges in beef and pork imports.
BAI knowledge confirmed that rooster meat imports in January fell to 16,939.025 MT from 42,645.749 MT recorded in the identical month of final yr.
BAI knowledge confirmed that imports of mechanically deboned meat (MDM) of rooster, a key uncooked materials used to fabricate processed meat merchandise like luncheon meat and sizzling canine, declined by greater than half to 9,522.033 MT from 24,948.143 MT final yr.
Likewise, imports of rooster cuts and rooster leg quarters (CLQ) in January fell by 66 p.c and 54 p.c to 1,528.955 MT and 5,603.938 MT, respectively, BAI knowledge confirmed.
Meat Importers and Merchants Affiliation (Mita) President Jesus C. Cham informed the BusinessMirror that MDM imports may have declined as a result of excessive costs within the world market brought on by import bans as a result of Avian Influenza (AI) considerations from supply international locations.
The BusinessMirror realized that the retail value of MDM has breached the P135 per kilogram stage, about 60 p.c larger than its P85 per kg citation in December.
“[Chicken] cuts and CLQ got here from extra stock for the yr and sudden sturdy gross sales in November and December, importers have been caught flatfooted with few excellent orders,” he stated.
BAI knowledge confirmed that pork imports in January rose by 57 p.c to twenty-eight,057.961 MT from 17,823.207 MT. Cham attributed the rise to attainable spillover from December provide as a result of delayed arrivals.
“Extra possible trigger is the excessive value of native pork, and importers noticed alternative. However [this] didn’t arrive in time for Christmas,” Cham added.
BAI knowledge confirmed that pork imports posted progress throughout all cuts of the meat product.
The nation’s imports of pork cuts expanded by 144 p.c to six,915.019 MT from 2,831.721 MT whereas imports of bellies rose by 75 p.c to three,110.3 MT, based mostly on BAI knowledge.
The federal government is now taking a look at elevating the minimal entry quantity (MAV) for pork imports to 400,000 MT to plug the shortfall in home provide and stabilize retail costs.
The proposal is on high of the petition of the Division of Agriculture (DA) to decrease tariffs on in-quota pork imports to five p.c and out-quota imports to fifteen p.c for six months.
BAI knowledge confirmed that beef imports in January grew by 27 p.c to 11,071.991 MT from 8,375.568 MT.
The nation’s whole meat imports in 2020 rose by 6 p.c to a record-high of 894,698 MT from 844,971 MT recorded in 2019, based mostly on BAI knowledge.
