MEAT IMPORTS rose 9.64% by volume year on year in the first half, led by pork, chicken, and beef, the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) reported.
The BAI said imports amounted to 647.75 million kilograms during the first half. The June total rose 9.5% to 123.07 million kilos.
Shipments of pork, which accounted for 48.9% of meat imports overall, rose 10.7% to 316.99 million kilos during the period.
Spain supplied around 80.74 million kilos of pork, followed by Brazil (71.96 million kilos), and Canada (46.75 million kilos).
Chicken imports made up 34.3% of the total. Shipments increased 4.1% year on year to 40.37 million kilos.
Brazil remained the top supplier of chicken with shipments of 121.14 million kilos, followed by the US (67.48 million kilos), and Australia (9.17 million kilos).
Beef imports increased 29.3% to 84.92 million kilos during the six months, accounting for 13.1% of the meat import total.
Beef from Brazil amounted to 30.52 million kilos, followed by Australia (24.2 million kilos), and Ireland (7.7 million kilos).
Imports of turkey increased to 722,529 kilos from 112,923 kilos a year prior.
On the other hand, imports of lamb, duck, and buffalo meat declined in the first half.
Imports of buffalo dropped 8.7% to 23.1 million kilos.
Shipments of duck and lamb fell during the period by 47.4% to 85,854 kilos and 22.5% to 327,380, respectively. — Adrian H. Halili
