Philippine meat imports slowed sharply heading into the late third quarter of 2026, despite overall import volume growing almost 8 percent in the first eight months of the year, according to the Meat Importers and Traders Association (MITA).
Data from the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) showed that meat imports in August alone declined by 16.1 percent to 115.18 million kilograms, which MITA President Emeritus Jesus Cham said was the lowest monthly arrival volume since April 2024.
Despite this, BAI figures noted that the Philippines imported 1.14 billion kg of meat from January to August this year, reflecting a 7.6 percent increase from the same period last year.
Pork imports accounted for 53 percent, or 602.66 million kg, of the total, followed by chicken at 32.5 percent (369.93 million kg) and beef at 11 percent (124.83 million kg).
In a Viber message on Thursday, MITA President Emeritus Jesus Cham said the decrease marked ‘a sharp deceleration in growth momentum heading into the late third quarter.’
Cham said import volumes of major protein categories, except buffalo and duck, have contracted toward mid-2024 baseline levels.
He said pork posted the largest single-month decline, highlighting weaker inventory building and caution ahead of fourth-quarter holiday stocking.
Poultry imports also decreased, signaling lower processing activity and potentially saturated cold-storage inventories among food manufacturers and importers.
Meanwhile, Cham said beef imports slowed even as beef cuts held steady and beef fats dipped.
‘While pork, chicken, and beef imports slowed down, buffalo jumped nearly 22 percent month-on-month, further confirming a sustained processor and consumer pivot toward cost-effective raw materials,’ he added.
Brazil remained the leading source of imported meat, holding a market share of 47.6 percent, equivalent to 541.13 million kg.
The United States ranked second with 12.5 percent (141.64 million kg), followed by Australia at 5.3 percent (60.36 million kg).