Meat imports rise 50% in January

The country's meat imports in January surged by half year-on-year to over 130,000 metric tons (MT) on the back of higher purchases of key meat products, as domestic production remained lackluster.

- By JASPER EMMANUEL ARCALAS

Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) data showed that meat imports during the reference month reached nearly 138,000 MT, about 46,000 MT higher than the 92,021 MT recorded in the same period last year.

The country's imports of pork, chicken meat and beef, which accounted for 98.5 percent of the total volume, all grew on an annual basis.

Local pork production remains insufficient to meet the country's overall demand for the meat product, resulting in higher imports, the Meat Importers and Traders Association (MITA) said.

Pork prices have also remained elevated with some cuts reaching as high as P470 per kilo because of the domestic supply shortfall.