US hopes to ship more poultry products to Phl

American poultry exporters hope to reverse the contraction in their shipments to the Philippines this year, banking on the country’s growing demand for meat products for retail and processing use.

- JASPER EMMANUEL ARCALAS

The US saw a slight dip in its broiler exports to the Philippines in the first half of the year, with volume settling at 70,970.6 metric tons (MT) compared to last year’s 71,609.2 MT.

The USA Poultry and Egg Export Council (USAPEEC) attributed the drop to lower available supplies. US domestic production has been challenged by avian influenza and a shift toward dark meat demand.

In recent years, the supply of US chicken leg quarters, which is usually exported to other markets, has been limited as consumers in the US started to consume more dark meat, according to USAPEEC.