Chicken inventory rose 1.2% as of Jan

poultry farm | INQUIRER.net stock image

The country’s chicken inventory climbed by 1.2 percent as of January this year with increases recorded in almost all types of poultry.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) estimated the total chicken population at 179 million birds as of Jan. 1, higher than 176.82 million birds in the same period last year.

Native or improved chicken and layer chicken, which increased by 1.1 percent and 4.2 percent, respectively, shored up the stockpile of chicken. Broiler chicken stocks fell by 0.9 percent.

Native or improved chicken accounted for nearly half of the total stock with a 45.2-percent share, followed by broiler chicken with 29.8 percent and layer chicken with 25 percent.

Central Luzon recorded the largest chicken population with 28.14 million birds, followed by Northern Mindanao with 22.61 million birds and Calabarzon with 22.16 million birds.

“These three regions accounted for 40.7 percent of the total chicken inventory in the country,” the PSA said in its periodic Chicken Situation Report.

For native or improved chicken, Western Visayas reported the highest inventory with 12.64 million birds, while Northern Mindanao was second with 10.24 million birds.

Broiler chicken inventory was highest in Central Luzon with 12.52 million birds, with Northern Mindanao a distant second with 8.53 million birds.

Calabarzon shared the highest inventory of layer chicken with 15.89 million birds and Central Luzon came in second with 9.37 million birds.