Industry Status - Chicken

Poultry is one of the world’s major and fastest producers of meat.  The chicken population in the Philippines increased from 82 M in 1992 to about 136 M in 2005.  The breakdown of the chicken population is as follows: 40.38 M (29.7%) broilers; 21.68 M (15.9%) layers; and 73.94 M (54.4%) native/improved stocks.  The per capita consumption of chicken meat increased from 4.56 kg in 1991 to 8.20 kg in 2004.  Domestic chicken meat production in 2005 was 1,240 thousand mt liveweight up by less than 1% than last year’s production volume, while chicken egg production in 2005 was 320 thousand mt, an increase by 8% over 2004 production.

However from 1996, the poultry industry is facing a very difficult time.  Poultry producers are incurring substantial losses due to over production resulting from its aggressive expansion, coupled with rising cost of grains and other feed materials both in the local and international markets.  While the poultry producers have trimmed down growth to more moderate levels, the industry is now faced with an even greater challenge - global competition.  The local producers will not only be competing among themselves, but with the world poultry producers. The livestock and poultry sector are major growth contributor to the Philippine economy.