The supply of chicken in the Philippines is expected to remain abundant from Christmas through January, according to the United Broiler Raisers Association. Farm-gate prices have dropped due to ample supply, though retail prices may fluctuate with demand. Local production is sufficient, unlike rice which still requires imports.
In a radio interview, Elias Jose Inciong, chairman of the United Broiler Raisers Association (UBRA), stated that the poultry sector is not facing supply shortages like in previous years, despite adverse weather and poultry diseases. "For chicken, the supply is more than enough. The problem is demand, or the buying capacity of consumers," he said. Farm-gate prices in Central Luzon have fallen to P83 to P85 per kilo from P100 a week earlier, while retail prices stay higher due to seasonal demand.
Inciong emphasized that supply is ample and could even overflow into January. The group is awaiting regulatory approval from the Department of Agriculture (DA) for poultry vaccines. There is an ongoing disagreement with the DA's technical team over vaccine types—live ones that could mutate versus killed ones that do not. "We do not understand why they are being so strict," he explained.
There is no ban on chicken imports unless the source country reports animal disease outbreaks. Local production meets domestic needs sufficiently, in contrast to rice which requires importation. Data from the National Price Coordinating Council indicates a chicken supply sufficient for 239 days, far exceeding rice's 79 days. This reassures Filipinos of no shortages during the holidays.