Philippines Expands Regionalization Scheme for Chicken Exports

Strategic Insights -

The Philippines has introduced a new policy, Administrative Circular (AC) 9, allowing accredited countries to export chicken to the country under a regionalization scheme. This initiative aims to reduce the impact of bird flu on the global food security, poultry industry, and international trade of live birds and poultry meat. According to the circular, the Philippines will restrict shipments of live birds and their products only from areas with confirmed avian flu cases instead of imposing a country-wide ban.

Key Takeaways:

  • The new policy, AC 9, allows accredited countries to export chicken to the Philippines under a regionalization scheme.
  • The Philippines will restrict shipments of live birds and their products only from areas with confirmed avian flu cases.
  • The country already has regionalization agreements with the United States and the United Kingdom.
  • The US can now apply for regionalization per county, given the new rules.
  • The livestock subsector was a laggard in the first quarter, with African swine fever crimping hog output.
  • The Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food Inc. (PCAFI) noted that the growth in poultry mirrored the shift in consumer preference due to elevated prices of meat products.
  • PCAFI President Danilo Fausto mentioned that the consumption pattern of consumers shifted to the poultry sector as a source of protein due to higher prices of meat and the continuing effect of ASF.

Statistics:

  • The Philippines' farm production inched up by 1.9 percent in the first quarter.
  • The crops, fisheries, and poultry subsectors showed growth, but the livestock subsector was a laggard.
  • The growth in poultry mirrored the shift in consumer preference, with chicken and egg production showing good performance.
  • The decrease in growth of the hog sector was attributed to the lingering effects of African swine fever (ASF).
  • As of the first quarter, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe were affected by HPAI avian influenza.

Sources:

  • Administrative Circular (AC) 9
  • Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI)
  • Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)
  • Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food Inc. (PCAFI)
  • Press release from the Department of Agriculture on Administrative Circular (AC) 9