USDA-FAS GAIN Report for the Philippines RP 2021-0076 released on December 10th projects continued imports of chicken benefitting both Brazil and the U.S. in 2022. Domestic production will increase by two percent through 2021 to 1.36 million metric tons. Imports will be down 4.8 percent from 2021 to 400,000 metric tons. Assuming a population of 110 million, per capita consumption will be 16 kg (35 lb).
Continued imports are predicated on lower availability of pork with production of 460,000 metric tons in 2021 and a forecast of 375,000 metric tons in 2022. Despite some rebuilding of herds, losses due to African swine fever continue due to extensive movement of live hogs and raw products in the absence of effective biosecurity or a vaccine.
According to the GAIN report, metro Manila prices were $0.82/lb for live farm gate broilers with a processed RTC wholesale value of $1.45/lb (Conversion PP1 = $0.02).
2021 imports of chicken totalling 302,220 metric tons will comprise 10.5 percent chicken cuts, 31.2 percent leg quarters, and 55.0 percent deboned product with a higher proportion of leg quarters compared to 2020.
For the period January through September 2021, U.S. imports attained 129,340 metric tons or 37.6 percent of the total. U.S. imports were up by 136 percent compared to the first nine months of 2020 due to a sharp reduction in supply from the European Union following outbreaks of avian influenza. For the first nine months of 2021, Brazil slightly edged the U.S. in volume of exports to the Philippines with 132,640 metric tons.