Central Luzon remains top poultry producer 

Central Luzon was the top producer of chicken in the country during the first quarter of the year, the latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed in a report by Philippine News Agency.

The region’s total chicken production from January to March 2022 was estimated at 167.63 thousand metric tons, live weight, contributing 36.8 percent of the country’s total chicken output.

The latest figures were also higher by 27.1 percent compared to the same period of the previous year at 131.94 thousand metric tons.

As of March 30 this year, the region’s total chicken inventory was estimated at 33.92 million birds, which accounted for 18.07 percent of the country’s total inventory during the period.

Broiler chicken inventory was also highest in Central Luzon with 17.55 million birds.

The average farmgate price of broiler chicken in commercial farms from January to March 2022 was quoted at P105.70 per kilogram, live weight.

This was 5.6 percent lower than the previous year’s same period average price of P111.95 per kilogram.

Meanwhile, the chicken egg production in the region also increased in the first three months of the year to 36.679 thousand metric tons, which is 15.5 percent higher compared to the same period last year of 31.749 thousand metric tons.

Aside from chicken, the volume of other livestock production in the region rose in the first quarter.

The carabao production was estimated at 1,367 metric tons of live weight, which is 24.5 percent compared to the same period last year of 1,098 metric tons.

The region’s hog production slightly rose by 5 percent in the first quarter of the year. 

The total volume of hog production was recorded at 28,547 metric tons of live weight, as against 27,194 metric tons in the same period last year.

PSA Regional Office III officer-in-charge Arlene Divino said Central Luzon had consistently been the country's top hog-producing region in recent years.

But Divino said starting the second half of 2020, the region's share of hog production was on a downward trend until the fourth quarter of 2021.

She said Central Luzon started to bounce back in terms of hog production in the first quarter of 2022.

“The region ranked seventh highest in hog production and it recorded an increase of 5 percent compared to the January to March 2021 produce,” she said in her report.