CHICKEN PRODUCTION IN EASTERN VISAYAS INCREASES BY 8.32 PERCENT IN THE FOURTH QUARTER OF 2024

The total volume of chicken production in Eastern Visayas went up by 8.32 percent in the fourth quarter of 2024 at 22,406 metric tons (MT) from its level of 20,685 MT in the fourth quarter of 2023 (Figure 1).

Eastern Visayas chicken production during the fourth quarter of 2024 accounted for 4.00 percent of the country’s total chicken production. It ranked seventh among the regions with high chicken production in the country (Table 1).

CHICKEN POPULATION IN EASTERN VISAYAS GROWS BY 23.30 PERCENT

The total inventory of chicken population in Eastern Visayas as of 01 October 2024 went up to 5.7 million birds, higher by 23.30 percent than the 4.6 million birds recorded as of 01 October 2023 (Table 2).

The rise in chicken inventory across all provinces, except Biliran, contributed to the upsurge in the region’s total inventory as of 01 October 2024. Samar posted the highest increase at 93.60 percent, followed by Southern Leyte (48.82%), Northern Samar, (28.30%), and Leyte (16.53%). Eastern Samar recorded slight increase of 0.78 percent, while Biliran dropped by 11.03 percent.

Among provinces, Leyte recorded the highest chicken population at 3.9 million birds as of 01 October 2024, comprising more than two-thirds (68.83%) of the total chicken population in the region. Southern Leyte ranked second with 671.6 thousand birds accounting for 11.86 percent followed by Samar with 438.5 thousand birds, contributing 7.74 percent to the total population. Meanwhile, Biliran registered the lowest inventory of chicken with 81.6 thousand birds or 1.44 percent share to the total chicken population (Figure 2 and Table 2).

The bulk of the total chicken population in the region consisted of native/improved chickens, contributing 51.78 percent. Broiler chickens accounted for 24.38 percent, while layer chickens comprised 23.84 percent (Table 2).

Native chicken registered the highest increase in inventory by 62.96 percent to 2.9 million birds as of 01 October 2024, compared to 1.8 million birds as of 01 October 2023. The increase in layer chicken population in Leyte (89.53%) contributed largely to the surge in the region’s total layer population, from 1.2 million birds as of 01 October 2023 to 2.2 million birds as of 01 October 2024. Samar, Northern Samar, and Southern Leyte also reported increases at 41.45 percent, 36.07 percent, and 6.32 percent, respectively. On the other hand, decreases were noted in Biliran (4.65%) and Eastern Samar (1.52%).

Layer chicken inventory also registered substantial growth at 48.93 percent from 906.5 thousand birds as of 01 October 2023 to 1.4 million birds as of 01 October 2024. This is largely attributed to the inventory of Samar which more than doubled (143.08%), from 108.7 thousand birds as of 01 October 2023 to 264.1 thousand birds as of 01 October 2024. Leyte (51.20%), Eastern Samar (30.75%), Northern Samar (12.15%), and Southern Leyte (1.44%) also posted increases. Leyte contributed the highest share at 59.02 percent, followed by Samar at 19.56 percent and Northern Samar at 13.36 percent.

EASTERN VISAYAS POSTS 3.69 PERCENT INCREASE IN THE AVERAGE FARMGATE PRICE OF NATIVE/IMPROVED CHICKEN

The average farmgate price of native/improved chicken (backyard) during the fourth quarter of 2024 was posted at ₱223.54 per kilogram, liveweight. This price was 3.69 percent higher than the average farmgate price of ₱215.58 per kilogram, liveweight, in the same quarter of 2023.

The highest farmgate price was recorded in December 2024 at ₱235.14 per kilogram, liveweight, while the lowest was quoted in October 2024 at ₱212.82 per kilogram, liveweight (Table 3).

SGD. WILMA A. PERANTE
Regional Director

TECHNICAL NOTES

This Chicken Situation Report presents the chicken industry in terms of volume of production, inventory by type, and average farmgate price. This report is prepared to serve as ready reference for PSA’s clients and stakeholders in the agriculture sector.

It is released quarterly in July, May, August and November every year.

Concepts and Definitions

Volume of Production refers to the locally raised chicken disposed for dressing including those which were shipped-out to other regions/provinces for dressing. This is expressed in metric tons, liveweight.

Inventory refers to the actual number of chicken in birds present in the farm as of a specific reference date.

• Beginning Inventory is the number of animals present in the farm as of the beginning of the reference period i.e for July to March the beginning inventory is as of July 1.

• Ending Inventory is the number of remaining stocks present in the farm as of the ending of the reference period i.e for July to March, the remaining inventory is as of October 1.

Backyard farm refers to any farm or household that tends/raises livestock and/or poultry animals.

Commercial farm refers to any broiler or layer farm which satisfies at least one of the following conditions:

• Tending 500 layers or 1,000 broilers; or

• Tending 100 layers and 100 broilers if raised in combination

Farmgate price refers to the price received by poultry raisers for their produce at the location of farm. Thus, marketing costs such as transport and other marketing cost (if any) incurred in selling the produce are not included in the farm gate prices.

Poultry a collective term for all domesticated avian for the purpose of food consumption or, the carcass of such avian/dressed processed for human consumption.