Meat imports up 23% in first 2 months

Meat imports in the first two months rose 22.9% to 292,106 metric tons (MT), the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) reported.

The BAI said pork imports during the period rose 22.36% to 151,789 MT.

Shipments of pork cuts in the first two months amounted to 63,784 MT, accounting for 42.02% of total pork imports.

Other major pork import categories included offal (45,872 MT), belly (24,016 MT), and fat (10,767 MT).

Brazil was the top source of pork, accounting for 73,197 MT, followed by Spain at 22,064 MT, Denmark 10,513 MT, and the Netherlands 9,363 MT.

Chicken imports grew 27.96% to 98,926 MT in the first two months of the year.

Mechanically deboned meat (MDM), used in processed foods, was the top chicken product, with imports hitting 53,849 MT, or 54.43% of the total.

Other major chicken imports included chicken leg quarters (19,822 MT) and chicken cuts (18,728 MT).

Brazil was the top source of chicken with volume of 55,667 MT or over half of total imports. Other major sources included the US (26,316 MT) and Poland (8,677 MT).

Beef imports inched up to 33,191 MT in the first two months, while inbound shipments of buffalo meat more than doubled to 7,475 MT. — Vonn Andrei E. Villamiel