MANILA -Local chicken and swine production managed to expand in the first three months of 2023 despite the prolonged battle against African swine fever (ASF) and bird flu, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
Hog production stood at 437,993 metric tons (MT) in the first quarter of this year, up by 5.1 percent from 416,722 MT in the same period a year ago.
According to the statistics agency, the figure was a notable recovery from the annual declines of 25.8 percent and 1.2 percent incurred in 2021 and 2022, respectively.
Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) emerged as the top swine producer with 61,184 MT, equivalent to a share of 14 percent.
Central Visayas came next with 57,916 MT or a share of 13.2 percent, followed by Northern Mindanao with 55,457 MT (12.7 percent).
Western Visayas and Central Luzon produced 52,880 MT and 40,270 MT, respectively, during the period.
“These regions accounted for 61.1 percent share [of] the country’s total hog production during the period,” the PSA noted.
Nine regions saw an uptrend in their output, with Ilocos Norte posting the largest increment of 42.5 percent.
Eight other regions, however, sustained decreases, with the National Capital Region’s output plummeting by 91 percent.
The PSA estimated total swine inventory at 10.18 million heads, an increase of 4.2 percent year-on-year from 9.77 million heads.
Smallholder farms accounted for 76.5 percent of the overall swine population while the remaining 22.3 percent and 1.2 percent came from commercial and semi-commercial farms.
Chicken output, meanwhile, grew by 3.3 percent year-on-year to 470,208 MT from 455,036 MT. The expansion was smaller compared to the 13-percent growth observed in the first three months of last year.
The bulk of the chicken output came from Central Luzon, which produced 162,441 MT, equivalent to 34.5 percent of the total.
Calabarzon was a distant second with 81,056 MT for 17.2 percent, while Northern Mindanao delivered 44,216 MT of chicken.
Western Visayas and Ilocos Region contributed 31,568 MT and 25,534 MT, respectively.