Philippines Poultry News Updates:

[Mustang Sally Farm]

Philippines Government Temporarily Bans Poultry from Taipei
15 October 2013


PHILIPPINES - Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala has issued a temporary ban on the importation of poultry meat products, domestic and wild birds including day old chicks, eggs and semen originating from Chinese Taipei.

The temporary ban was issued following the official report of Dr Ping-Cheng Yang, Director of the Animal Technology Institute Taiwan, Council of Agriculture, Taiwan, Chinese Taipei to Office International Des Epizooties (OIE), on an outbreak of Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza (LPAI) in Yuli, Hua-lien, Chinese Taipei.

Reports state that the LPAI serotype H5N3 was isolated from a meat-type duck farm on 16 July 2013 and the National Laboratory (Animal Health Research Institute) confirmed the virus through virological test and pathologenicity test on 2 August 2013.

To protect the health of the local poultry population, Alcala immediately ordered a freeze on imports of domestic and wild birds, including day old chicks, eggs, and semen. The Agri chief also ordered the immediate suspension of the processing, evaluation of the application and issuance of Veterinary Quarantine Clearance (VQS/SPS) for the import of the said commodities.

All DA Veterinary Quarantine/Inspectors at all major ports are directed to stop all shipments into the country of poultry meat and similar products (with the exception of heat treated products) originating from Chinese Taipei.

[Mustang Sally Farm]

Ag Department Calls for Lower Retail Chicken Prices
21 October 2013


PHILIPPINES - The Department of Agriculture (DA )is asking the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to lower the suggested retail price of chicken in major trading centers to align it with current farmgate prices.

“There is a huge supply of poultry and farmgate prices are falling, but retail is not so we will recommend to the DTI the lowering of retail prices,” said Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala.

United Broilers Integrators Association (UBRA) president Gregorio San Diego said the average liveweight price of chicken has fallen to P78 per kilogram (kg) while dressed poultry is sold in markets at P130 per kg.

He said chicken growers are incurring losses because production costs have risen to P70 per kilogram.

Mr Alcala said based on the latest field monitoring of DA, the farmgate price of a live chick has now fallen to P5 apiece from P20 apiece months ago.

Chicken production in the first semester of the year rose year-on-year in terms of volume and value, according to the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS).

Chicken production consisted of broiler meat, meat of native and improved breed of native chicken, meat of culled layers and breeders, and meat of culled game fowls.

The volume of chicken production for the first semester of the year was placed at 758,680 metric tons (MT), up 5.05 per cent from the output of 722,210 MT in the same period last year.

Broilers accounted for 74.66 per cent of the total chicken production for the period.

The gross value of chicken production at current prices was placed at P63 billion, up 7.18 per cent in the same period last year.

In the first six months of the year, the country’s total chicken population was placed at 176.85 million birds, 4.05 per cent higher than last year’s headcount of 196.97 million birds.

[Mustang Sally Farm]

Damages to Livestock, Poultry Worth P2.7M Due to Typhoon
29 November 2013


PHILIPPINES - Typhoon Yolanda has damaged livestock and poultry worth a total amount of P2,745,947, according to the Office of the Provincial Veterinarian.

Provincial Veterinarian Dr Romeo Magdato in an interview said this already covers a province-wide assessment of affected livestock and poultry raisers as of 18 November 2013. However, the towns of Barbaza and Tibiao have not yet submitted their report.

The report showed that commercial poultry raisers lost about P1, 298,000 in stocks of chicken layers and broilers.

The rest of the figures indicated the losses in backyard farms of chickens, fighting cocks, ducks, and turkey and for livestock it includes swine, goat, carabao and cattle.

Top five towns greatly affected are Bugasong with P1,396,367 worth of damages, Sebaste – P349,110, Sibalom – P249,850, Libertad- P130,000 and Laua-an- P110,700.

The Office of the Provincial Veterinarian now readies the rehabilitation and recovery plan to bring back the source of livelihood of affected families and sustain the country’s food security requirement in terms of meat and other byproducts.

Dr Magdato said they proposed for a P10.4 million worth rehabilitation and recovery plan for next year broken down into semesters with P7.2 million budget for January to June and P3.5 million for July to December which will focus on restocking of swine, goats and cattle and chickens.

The Office of the Provincial Veterinarian assured support for livestock and poultry raisers for them to recover their losses and sustain their livelihood.

[Mustang Sally Farm]

Philippines to Monitor Chicken Price Movements
15 August 2014


PHILIPPINES - The Philippine Department of Agriculture is to closely monitor inventories of poultry meat and price movements down to the farmgate level to address what it calls a "temporary tightness" in the supply of the commodity due to "distribution issues".

However, the ministry has said there is no shortage of chicken meat.

In a statement, the Department of Agriculture said it is open to the idea of imports to boost domestic stock and help ensure there is adequate and affordable supply in both wet markets and groceries.

"Definitely, there is no such thing as shortage," Agriculture Undersecretary for Livestock Jose Reaño told reporters after touring Commonwealth Market in Quezon City Tuesday morning with Undersecretary Victorio Mario Dimagiba of the Department of Trade and Industry and DA Assistant Secretary Leandro Gazmin.

"Supply is tight because of distribution problems as growers adjust their operations following typhoon Glenda," he said.

At the Commonwealth Market, prevailing market price stood at P150 per kilo for dressed whole chicken as of Tuesday, which according to DA and DTI officials remained acceptable since consumers can still actually haggle to as low as P140 per kilo. Farm-gate prices of live chicken were also at normal levels of P100 to P105 per kilo.

Reaño also noted the availability of dressed chicken weighing 1.4 kilos to 1.6 kilos apiece, indicating here is no problem in the inventory of birds as raisers "could still afford to wait for right weight" before selling it to traders.

According to Gazmin, who is also the concurrent chief of DA’s Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service, the farmgate price of chicken had actually gone up based on their initial check. But as part of efforts to determine the real cause of the farmgate price increases, the DA secured the commitment of poultry growers to check their ranks and immediately address any concern.

Gazmin said DA and DTI agreed to regularly monitor the market in a bid to balance the interests and welfare of both the consumers and producers.

Meanwhile, Dimagiba said DTI will go after "profiteers" or retailers who will be found to be making unjustified increases in chicken prices. Under the Price Act, a person found profiteering and hoarding may be jailed for between five and 15 years as well as pay a fine of between P5,000 and P2 million.

In a radio interview also on Tuesday, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said he expects price and supply to normalize in the last quarter of the year.

He added that the supply chain from Region 3, the country’s top chicken producing region, was not affected by the recent typhoon.

There is also a possibility, he said, that DA will infuse the market with supplies coming from notably, Region 3.