Meat imports nearing record high volume

The country's meat imports are on pace to reach a new record high as imports through September have breached one million metric tons (MT), driven by higher purchases of pork and chicken products.

- JASPER EMMANUEL ARCALAS

Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) data showed that meat imports from January to September reached 1.039 million MT, about 12.64 percent higher than the 923,160.367 MT recorded in the same period last year.

The nine-month volume is just 165,000 MT away from matching the full-year meat import volume in 2023 of 1.204 million MT.

Meat imports have averaged about 115,545.032 MT from January to September, with shipments accelerating in the second half of the year.

In the third quarter alone, meat imports rose by nearly 18 percent to 392,160.271 MT, averaging at 130,720.09 MT, based on BAI data.

The country's meat imports through September are just 317,000 MT away from matching the record-high 1.356 million MT recorded volume in 2022.

Pork imports during the nine-month period rose by almost 13 percent to 517,860.193 MT from 458,703.533 MT as the country relied on foreign supplies to augment domestic stocks and stabilize prices of the meat item.