Department of Agriculture (DA) officials have reported a significant decline in the farmgate prices of chicken this week, a positive development they expect would pull down retail costs of the commodity to P110-P120 per kilo.
In a report to Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap, Director Davinio Catbagan of the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) said that the drop in farmgate prices by an average of P20 per kilo as of July 21 was due to a “confluence of factors†such as improved farm efficiency and increase in birds’ weight, which resulted partly from the intervention measures that had been put in place by the DA and BAI to help the livestock and poultry sector sustain its growth this year.
Assistant Secretary Salvador Salacup said, meanwhile, that Yap has ordered DA officials to keep tabs on wet markets all over the country to ensure that this hefty drop in the farmgate rate would translate into cheaper retail prices for Filipino consumers.
Chicken farmgate prices have dropped from P92-P94 per kilo three weeks ago to P72-P74 per kilo as of July 21.
“Because farmgate price is down by P20, retail prices must be adjusted down correspondingly as well,†Catbagan said. “The drop in prices is not a decision of the raisers, but is supply driven, brought about by improved farm production efficiency and increase in birds’ harvest weight.â€
The poultry subsector posted a 4.71% growth increase in 2008, with chicken production rising 5.76%. The subsector, with its 14.11% share in the total agricultural output, was valued at P130.9 billion at current prices or 10.71% higher than the previous year’s record.
Philippine agriculture expanded 3.92% in 2008 with its value rising by almost 20% to P1.16 trillion despite an unprecedented food crisis brought about by declining farm productivity across the globe.
The country’s continuous Bird Flu/Avian Influenza (AI) free status allows the Philippines to continuously export chicken meat to Japan & Middle East countries and breeders’ day-old-chicks (DOC) to Nepal and other Asian countries.
In 2007, Philippine agriculture grew 4.68% with key subsectors posting ample or higher-than-expected yields as the DA succeeded in large part in easing the impact of a dry spell that had initially threatened to cripple farm growth in the second half of that year. - the Bohol Standard
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