Local poultry production in the country has decreased by 30 to 40 percent, the United Broilers Raisers Association (UBRA) said Wednesday.
In an interview with DZMM, Atty. Bong Inciong, president of UBRA, said many broiler raisers have either stopped or reduced their production of chicken.
“Marami na po ang tumigil..di daw talaga kaya. Yung mga family farms po ang mauuna diyan, tapos siguro yung mga ibang malalaki, mag babawas o titigil (A lot of raisers have stopped…because they can no longer handle the losses. The family farms would probably the first to stop operations, and then the large broiler producers would either decrease production or stop as well),” Inciong said.
“Mga 30 to 40 percent na ang nababawas sa production, ang nangyayari ho nakikibagay na lang kami sa labas at dating ng imported dahil ‘yan naman ho ang sabi sa amin ng Department of Agriculture (DA) sa amin (There is about 30 to 40 percent decrease in local broiler production. So what we are doing right now is we are adapting, and giving way to imported products since that’s what we were told to do by the DA),” he added.
The UBRA president said local raisers were asked to “self regulate” production since May 28.
Inciong said local raisers have been taking “two steps backward and one step forward” in their production since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Inciong also lamented how importation continued to grow even amid the pandemic -- despite the decline in the demand of poultry in markets, and the closure of hotels, restaurants, and institutions (HRIs).
Since many HRIs have closed due to the pandemic, imports have also taken over the household market which has been previously the ground for local raisers, according to Inciong.
“Yung napupunta sa palenke, sa grocery, eh hindi na ho talaga mananalo ang lokal dahil napaka mura po ng imported (Local products can’t win over the imported ones being sold in the wet market and groceries because they cost much less),” he said.