THE country’s meat imports in January to April rose by almost 10 percent on an annual basis to nearly 350,000 metric tons (MT), latest Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) data showed.
BAI data showed that meat imports during the four-month period were 30,814.584 MT higher than the 319,076.632 MT recorded volume in the same period of last year.
BAI data showed that higher pork and chicken meat imports drove the double-digit growth rate in the overall volume of imported meat products during the reference period.
The country’s pork imports in January to April expanded by a fifth to 186,220.071 MT from 154,464.325 MT in the same period of last year, based on BAI data. Pork imports accounted for 53.2 percent of the total meat imports during the four-month period.
BAI data showed that imports of pork cuts and pork bellies, which accounted for about half of the total pork imports, reached 91,371.825 MT.
Imports of pork cuts and pork bellies benefited from the lower pork tariffs rates implemented by the government to boost domestic supply amid lackluster domestic pork production due to African swine fever (ASF) devastation.
BAI data showed that imports of pork cuts and pork bellies grew by almost 47 percent from last year’s 62,205.169 MT.
The country’s chicken meat imports increased by 4.3 percent to 102,200.44 MT from last year’s 97,980.735 MT driven by higher purchases of chicken cuts and mechanically deboned meat (MDM), based on BAI data.
BAI data showed that the country’s chicken cuts imports rose by 20.68 percent year-on-year to 11,464.955 MT while imports of chicken MDM grew by 21.04 percent on an annual basis to 65,598.803 MT.
Meanwhile, BAI data showed that the country’s imports of beef, buffalo meat, lamb meat, duck meat, and turkey meat contracted year-on-year during the four-month period.
Beef imports fell by 5 percent to 47,762.802 MT from last year’s 50,354.339 MT while buffalo meat imports declined by 13.12 percent to 13,383.832 MT from 15,406.646 MT last year, based on BAI data.
BAI data showed that duck meat imports plunged 67.27 percent year-on-year to 17.309 MT while turkey meat imports declined 64.5 percent on an annual basis to 223.769 MT. Lamb meat imports fell 7.63 percent to 172.993 MT from 187.298 MT last year, based on BAI data.
Recently, the Department of Agriculture (DA) reverted the validity of sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance (SPS-IC) for imported meat products to 60 days, arguing that problems hounding the global supply chain have already eased.
Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar issued administrative order (AO) 11 that revoked his earlier order of extending the 90-day validity of SPS-IC for imported meat.
Dar cited the better global Covid-19 situation as the reason behind the revocation of his earlier orders extending SPS-IC validity for imported meat.
He earlier issued AO 2 series of 2022 that maintained the 90-day SPS-IC validity until revocation “due to the chain issues and logistical difficulties brought about by the global Covid pandemic.” (Related story: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2022/02/01/da-extends-anew-validityof-sps-ics-of-meat-imports/)
“The current global Covid situation has subsided in many parts of the world, resulting in an easing of the supply chain and logistical restrictions,” Dar explained in AO 11 dated May 23.
“DA AO No. 2 Series of 22 … is hereby revoked; thus, returning the SPS validity of imported meat back to sixty days,” he added.
Source: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2022/05/25/phls-january-april-meat-imports-up-almost-10/
