Meat imports surged by 24.5% as of end-March

The Philippines imported 262.9 million kilograms of meat products in the first three months of 2022, 24.5 percent more than the 211.2 million kg brought into the country in the same period last year.

Pork products—mainly pork cuts and offal—accounted for over half of the total volume, according to the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), with the volume rising by 36.7 percent year on year to 138.7 million kg, from 101.5 million kg in the first three months last year. The government allowed the entry of more meat products and at lower tariffs due to the African swine fever (ASF) contagion that hit the country in 2019, resulted in skyrocketing prices of pork products and a severe supply shortfall.

Executive Order (EO) 133 increased the minimum access volume (MAV) for pork imports to 254,210 metric tons from 54,210 MT to address the supply shortage due to the ASF outbreak.

EO 134, on the other hand, reduced tariffs on pork imports under MAV to 10 percent for the first three months and 15 percent in the next nine months. For imports outside MAV, the tariffs are 20 percent for the first three months and 25 percent in the next nine months.

With both directives lapsing in May this year, the economic team has proposed extending the lower tariff until December this year to ensure sufficient supply and lower prices.

Based on the Department of Agriculture’s price monitoring, pork ham (kasim) is now selling at a lower P350 a kilo from P370 last year. Pork liempo , meanwhile, was sold in Metro Manila markets at the same P380 a kilo.

As for chicken, BAI data showed that the imported volume—principally deboned chicken—likewise went up to 78.03 million kg, an increase of 22.2 percent from last year’s 63.9 million kg.

Meanwhile, beef imports reached 37.4 million, 11.9 percent higher than 33.4 million a year ago. Beef cuts cornered about two-thirds of the total imports.

Spain was the country’s main source of imported pork with 52.1 million kg of the total. Meanwhile, Brazil was the top supplier of chicken with 40.1 million kg and beef with 16.8 million kg.