The Philippine poultry industry is thought to have grown by 4.4 percent in 2013. Final data on the sector after November's natural disaster is yet to be published, but prior to the arrival of the worst typhoon in the country's history, the Philippine poultry industry was in positive territory, with rising output and growing consumption of poultry meat and eggs. At least as far as 2013 output is concerned, Typhoon Haiyan is thought to have acted as only a slight drag on growth.
Over the first nine months of 2013, total agricultural output in the Philippines grew by 1.1 percent in volume in comparison with the first nine months of 2012, reports the country's Bureau of Agricultural Statistics. The livestock sector fared slightly better, growing by 1.89 percent, but the poultry sector grew by a yet more impressive 4.31 percent.
Poultry production, which accounts for 15 percent of total agricultural production, expanded across all activities except duck farming, and was worth PHP128.2 billion, an increase of 5.35 percent on the year before.
Of all poultry production, chicken production was the best performer over the first three quarters of 2013, registering a 4.97 percent increase in output.
Approximately 33 percent of the country's broiler flock is located in Central Luzon, but the most significant gains were recorded in the Ilocos region, Cagayan Valley and Bicol region, which all saw an increase in the number of birds slaughtered. Among factors driving production in the country are an increase in contract farming, and higher demand for chicken meat from fast food chains and other commercial and institutional operations.
The same story was not played out, however, for duck producers, as the volume of duck produced over the period contracted by 1.1 percent.
Chicken egg production rose by 2.5 percent, with sustained increases in layer numbers in Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Davao region and Soccskargen. Duck egg production also rose, recording an increase of 3.22 percent.
Strong first half
Growth in the Philippine's poultry output was strongest during the first two quarters of the year.
As of July 2013, the country's total chicken flock stood at 176.85 million head, or 4.05 percent up on 2012's 169.97 million. The number of commercial broilers and native or improved birds rose by 9.43 percent and 2.51 percent, respectively. The number of layers, however, declined by 2.47 percent.
The statistical bureau's definition of chicken production includes broiler meat, meat from native and improved village chickens, meat from culled layers and breeders, and the meat from game fowl. It reports that total chicken production went up by 5.05 percent over the first half, to reach 758,680 metric tons, with the second quarter performing more strongly than the first. Broilers accounted for almost 75 percent of production. Chicken production over the period was worth PHP63,873 million.
By volume, egg production rose by 2.55 percent reaching 218,583 metric tons, while by value it grew by 5.55 percent to stand at PHP19,584.19 million.
Chicken meat trade
While national output rose, imports of chicken meat fell. For the first half of 2013, imports stood at 48.3 million metric tons, with a value of US$38.5 million. By volume, imports contracted by 6.52 percent, while by value they were 13.83 percent lower. By volume, imports of chicken meat have been noticeably declining. In 2011, for example, the country imported 61 million tons of chicken meat. With a good disease status, the country is looking to grow poultry meat exports over the coming year.
Typhoon Haiyan affected more than 14 million people and resulted in 6,200 deaths, and severely hit agriculture and rural livelihoods. While the effects of the typhoon were more concentrated in some parts of the country than in others - necessitating a rescue package for some of the country's poultry producers - its full impact on the chicken and egg industries is more than likely yet to be felt.
