MEAT imports rose 10% in the five months to May with pork, chicken, and beef seen leading, according to the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI).
The BAI said imports amounted to 524.68 million kilograms during the five-month period.
In May, meat imports rose 4.9% to 128.29 million kilos.
Shipments of pork increased 10.6% to 253.55 million kilos during the five months, accounting for 48.32% of the total.
Spain supplied around 64.7 million kilos of pork, followed by Brazil (58.4 million), and Canada (36.5 million) during the period.
Imports of chicken meat totaled 181.23 million kilos in the five months. Shipments rose 4.98% and accounted for 34.5% of meat imports.
Brazil remained the top supplier of chicken with shipments of 98.3 million kilos, followed by the US (58.9 million kilos), and Australia (7.2 million kilos).
Shipments of beef accounted for 13.1% of total imports. Imports increased 28.8% to 68.53 million kilos during the five months.
Beef from Brazil amounted to 23.9 million kilos, followed by Australia (20.4 million kilos), and Ireland (6.3 million kilos).
Imports of turkey increased to 647,529 kilos from 89,889 kilos a year prior.
Meanwhile, imports of buffalo, duck, and lamb fell during the five-month period.
Buffalo imports, which accounted for 3.89% of the total, fell 9.87% during the five months to May to 20.4 million kilos.
Shipments of duck declined 39.7% to 84,254 kilos, while lamb imports fell 48.2% to 199,000 kilos. — Adrian H. Halili
