Philippine meat imports up 16.8% in Jan-Oct 2024

The volume of meat imports into the Philippines increased by 16.8% in the first ten months of 2024, driven primarily by higher beef and pork shipments.

According to the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), the country imported a total of 1.19 billion kilograms of meat from January to October 2024, equivalent to 98.9% of the 2023 import volume of 1.2 billion kg.

Jesus C. Cham, President Emeritus of the Meat Importers and Traders Association (Mita), noted that despite exchange rate volatility, imports are expected to exceed last year's total due to lower import duties and ongoing animal diseases like African swine fever (ASF) and avian influenza.

Beef imports surged by 38.9% to 167.55 million kilograms, with Brazil being the largest supplier at 420.36 million kilograms.

Pork imports increased by 18.6%, reaching 598.28 million kilograms, with Brazil, Spain, and Canada as the top suppliers.

Chicken imports rose by 8.6% to 389.95 million kilograms, with Brazil and the United States being the primary sources.