Import of meat products seen to rise in 2008
By Amy R. Remo
Inquirer
Last updated 02:49am (Mla time) 11/14/2007
MANILA, Philippines--THE IMPORTATION OF MEAT AND MEAT products may slightly increase in 2008 due to the appreciation of the peso against the dollar.
According to Francisco J. Buencamino, executive director of the Philippine Association of Meat Processors Inc., the meat industry may find it more economical to import since meat products from abroad are estimated to be cheaper by 20 percent.
Thus, he added, “we can expect there will be heavier dependence on imports in 2008.”
In 2006, the country had imported a total of 181 million kilos of meat, including pork, beef, carabeef and meat additives.
This year however, the industry sees an 11-percent decline in meat imports, Buencamino said.
Despite the expected decline, he said that the country can expect “more meat imports in the next three or four months.”
The country currently imports meat from the United States, Korea, Australia, Brazil and parts of South America, which are free of the foot-and-mouth disease.
Buencamino also noted that another advantage of importation is that the meat products have already been sorted, which means the importing firms get in particular the meat portions they need.
He explained that locally, meat is bought in bulk so there is a need for further processing and sorting.
For the Christmas season, Buencamino has meanwhile assured the public that there is an ample supply of meat and meat products in the local wet and retail markets.
Once the available meat volume drops by end-December, Buencamino said, local meat processors would then start importing products.
The livestock subsector, which accounted for 13.28 percent of total agricultural output, expanded by 2.57 percent in 2006.
This sector includes the carabao, cattle, hog, goat and dairy industries.
Hog production grew by 3.90 percent to 1.84 million metric tons.
