DA mulls chicken imports as supply in Metro becomes tight

Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The onslaught of typhoon “Glenda” (Rammasun) has caused a tight supply of chicken meat in Metro Manila although there is no production shortage, according to agriculture officials.

“Retail prices have indeed gone up slightly but we are monitoring the markets closely,” Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala said in an interview.

Alcala acknowledged the temporary tightness of supply due to distribution issues, especially since Glenda wreaked havoc on the poultry industry, which has since been recovering and rehabilitating.

The DA’s field operations services said the typhoon cost livestock and poultry farms a total of about P2 billion, with the damage felt almost entirely in the Bicol region.

“During the fourth quarter, when the Christmas season comes, we will see the supply to be completely normal,” Alcala said.

In a statement, Agriculture Undersecretary Jose Reaño said the DA would consider importation to help address the current tight supply.

“But definitely, there is no shortage,” Reaño said, noting the availability of dressed chicken weighing 1.4 kilos to 1.6 kilos apiece.

He said that such numbers showed that poultry producers could still afford to wait for the “right weight” before selling to traders.

Still, Alcala clarified that importation would be just one option to secure the volume and help avoid speculation that could lead to overbuying based on suspicions of a shortage.

The agriculture chief added that the Department of Agriculture has been considering tapping poultry-producing regions that was spared by Glenda.

“We have observed surpluses in Central Luzon, Central Visayas and Zamboanga Peninsula,” he said. “We are trying to find ways on how this could be brought into Metro Manila and Southern Tagalog.”

On Wednesday, Reaño told reporters that Jollibee Foods Corp. has been considering to import chicken products due to a supply disruption that led to the closure of some of its branches.

Jollibee management had blamed a change in its information technology system for the supply glitch.

Still, the undersecretary said the company has expressed intention to import and has started coordinating with the DA on how to go about it.

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