Figures at the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics, Dept. of Agriculture, region 10, also show that the inventory of swine during the period increased by 6.49%, from 804,870 to 857,134 heads, Regional Director Myra V. Balandra of the National Economic and Development Authority, Northern Mindanao, said.

"This was due to the establishment of additional commercial poultry/livestock farms in the region in response to the population's growing demand for meat and because more farmers were engaged in backyard raising," she said.

In terms of live weights during the first three months of the year, however, the combined livestock and poultry meat production posted a slight increase of 2.80%, from 63,379 metric tons to 65,156 m.t., with cattle registering the highest increase of 8%, from 7,089 m.t. to 7,656 m.t.

This was followed by carabao with 4.98%, from 1,467 m.t. to 1,540 m.t., chicken by 3.63%, from 20,256 m.t. to 20,991 m.t., goat by 2.97%, from 1,045 m.t. to 1,076 mt. and swine by 2%, from 25,224 m.t. to 25,728 m.t.

The increase in meat production was attributed mainly to the rise in the number of animals sold and slaughtered in the abattoirs, Balandra said.

However, due to the reduction in the number of laying flocks and egg efficiency ratio during the period, a downtrend were noted on the following: ducks meat by 2%, from 850 m.t. to 833 m.t., chicken eggs by 1.51%, from 6,578 m.t. to 6,479 m.t. and duck eggs by 1.95%, from 870 m.t to 853 m.t., she further said.

Meanwhile, Malacanang said the Philippines is breaking the psychological thresholds in the market as fast as the economic takeoff is nearing.

"The August inflation which could be within the 5.8% to 6.5% range is expected to be lower than the July figure due to the continued firmness of the peso and lower food prices," Gov. Amando M. Tetangco, Jr. of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said.

Aside from the strong peso, improvements in the agricultural sector, higher exports and robust remittances of the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) that drive higher consumer demand are expected to propel the growth, Tetangco added.

ThePoultrySite News Desk