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Chicken
Poultry is one of the world’s major and fastest producers of meat. The chicken population in the Philippines increased from 82 M in 1992 to about 136 M in 2005. The breakdown of the chicken population is as follows: 40.38 M (29.7%) broilers; 21.68 M (15.9%) layers; and 73.94 M (54.4%) native/improved stocks. The per capita consumption of chicken meat increased from 4.56 kg in 1991 to 8.20 kg in 2004. Domestic chicken meat production in 2005 was 1,240 thousand mt liveweight up by less than 1% than last year’s production volume, while chicken egg production in 2005 was 320 thousand mt, an increase by 8% over 2004 production.
However from 1996, the poultry industry is facing a very difficult
time. Poultry producers are incurring substantial losses
due to over production resulting from its aggressive expansion,
coupled with rising cost of grains and other feed materials both
in the local and international markets. While the poultry
producers have trimmed down growth to more moderate levels, the
industry is now faced with an even greater challenge - global
competition. The local producers will not only be competing
among themselves, but with the world poultry producers. The livestock
and poultry sector are major growth contributor to the Philippine
economy.
Duck
In the Philippines, ducks rank next to chickens for egg and meat production. In 2005, the duck population was estimated at 10.44 million, of which 7.94 million or 77% were in the backyard farms while the rest were in commercial establishments. Among the regions, Central Luzon which supplies eggs in Metro Manila has 2.44 million ducks. This is followed by Western Visayas with 1.49 million, and Cagayan Valley with 1.35 million.
Duck meat production in 2005 was 49 thousand metric tons valued at 2,747 million pesos which was 8% lower than 2004 production. While duck egg production in 2005 was 53 thousand metric tons valued at 3,013 million pesos, a decrease by 5% over the 2004 production.
Among the avian species, duck is considered as the most versatile
because it can subsist under a wide range of climatic and nutritional
conditions. Also, duck raising is inexpensive, requires non-elaborate
housing facilities and less space for rearing compared to chickens.
Moreover, ducks are shown to be relatively hardy, resistant to
common avian diseases, and subsist on a variety of feeds.
Eggs are the most important products of the duck industry, because
of the increasing demand for duck eggs. Mallard duck eggs are
primarily utilized for the production of balut. Other uses of
duck eggs are in either fresh form, as component of bakery products
or in processed form such as penoy, salted eggs and centruy eggs.
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