A group of local poultry producers has asked the Department of Agriculture (DA) to lessen the importation of chicken and other poultry products as they are struggling to keep their businesses afloat amid skyrocketing prices of commodities.

In a DZMM interview on Monday, Sept. 12, United Broilers Raisers Association (UBRA) Chairman Gregorio San Diego Jr. said the influx of imported poultry products is bad for local producers as they are forced to sell their products at a lower price.

He noted that over the weekend, the price of chicken went down by P10.

“But this is unusual because our prices usually go up during the weekend. But, this time, our prices went down,” San Diego pointed out the irony.

As local poultry producers are selling at a loss, the UBRA chairman said they are losing P10 per kilo.

“Our rate at the farm for live chicken is P92 to P101. Our capital is around P112,” he explained.

San Diego noted that between January and July 2022, 212 million kilos of imported poultry products entered the country, with 24 million kilos arriving in April, 28 million in May, 45 million in June, and 36 million in July.

He said that from January to July, the government had authorized import permits for 416 million kilos of poultry goods.

“Hindi pa na-todo ‘yung request nila na volume. Iyan ang potential na dumating kasi doble. Talagang papatayin yung local industry (Their request volume was not maxed. That may potentially come because it’s double. It will really kill the local industry),” said San Diego.

In July, President and Agriculture Secretary Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos said the country still has to import chicken products due to the lack of feed production.

He also noted that he wants the country to import “as little as possible.”