The government expects the value of poultry production to hit or even exceed the official growth target of two per cent for 2010, with the first three quarters already recording a three per cent increase before the seasonal boost in the last three months of the year, an Agriculture department official said late last week.

"Given the growth of [local poultry production] in the nine months [that ended in September] and a surge in demand for the product in the fourth quarter because of the holiday season, we expect it to register a two per cent growth or even exceed it," Bureau of Animal Industry director, Efren C. Nuestro, said in a telephone interview with Business World on 23 December.

In the nine months to September, poultry production grew 3.01 per cent to 36.69 billion pesos (PHP) from the same period last year, data from the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) show.

In terms of volume, chicken production, which accounted for 73.34 per cent of poultry output that period, increased 2.82 per cent to 987,390 metric tons (MT) from 960,350MT last year.

Chicken egg production, accounting for 22.67 per cent, rose 5.87 per cent to 288,640MT from 272,640MT in the same comparative periods.

But duck production, which accounted for 2.25 per cent, dropped 9.9 per cent to 24,040MT from 26,680MT.

Duck egg production, accounting for 1.74 per cent, dipped 4.81 per cent to 28,520MT from 29,960MT.

"We see poultry to have continuous growth throughout the fourth quarter, especially because demand usually surges during the holiday season, which in turn increases production," Mr Nuestro said.

The value of poultry production grew 1.82 per cent in 2009, data from BAS show. In terms of volume, chicken production increased 1.53 per cent and chicken egg output grew 5.04 per cent, while duck production dropped 8.35 per cent and duck egg output dipped 6.64 per cent.

Elias Jose M. Inciong, executive vice-president of the Union of Broilers and Raisers Association, said in a separate phone interview that even a three per cent growth for the sub-sector can be "easily achieved".

Business World reports him saying: "A two per cent or even a three per cent growth can be easily achieved. We have a lot of chicken supply at present. If the sub-sector already grew by three per cent in the [nine months to September], it can easily sustain this until the end of the year."