High Poultry Feed Cost Pull Down Chicken Production in the Philippines - PHILIPPINES - High cost of poultry feeds has pulled down chicken production in the Philippines, resulting in a reduction of supply available in the market.

Since October, the selling price of chicken in the market has increased steadily. Poultry executives attribute this to the increase in the cost of corn, a major component of poultry feeds. They speculate the increase in the price of corn might have been brought by typhoon Harurot, which ravaged millions worth of crops, especially corn, in Luzon about three months ago.

Lito Bucat, of the National Meat Inspection Commission (NMIC), confirmed the shortage. "There is no buffer stock of chicken as of the moment, unlike last year," he said.

He said the closure of Swift in Davao City early this year has affected chicken production.

Records from the Philippines Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) showed that a kilo of dressed chicken costs P96 in various supermarkets as of November 24, a 7.8% increase compared to its cost a week ago at P89.

But the prevailing cost of chicken in the supermarkets is 18.5% higher than its price three months ago, which is P81, the DTI 11 report revealed.

The Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (Bas) 11 also reported the average kilo of whole dressed chicken in wet markets increased to P95 as of the latest survey.

Source: eFeedLink - 1st December 2003