GOAT MEAT production in the first three months dropped 3.6% from a year earlier, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said, while animal numbers during the period rose.
In its situation report, the PSA said volume in the three months to March was 14.94 thousand metric tons (MT) on a liveweight basis.
Western Visayas was the top producer at 1.85 thousand MT, followed by Ilocos Region (1.83 thousand MT), Davao Region (1.53 thousand MT), Northern Mindanao (1.51 thousand MT), and Central Visayas (1.48 thousand MT).
“These regions accounted for 54.9% of total goat production during the quarter,” the PSA said.
As of March 31, the PSA estimated the overall goat inventory at 3.96 million head, up 1% from a year earlier.
Of the total, about 99.3% were raised on smallhold farms while the remainder were raised on semi-commercial and commercial farms.
Goats from smallhold farms totaled 3.93 million head, up 1% year on year.
Meanwhile, the size of the flock in semi-commercial farms fell 4.4% year on year to 14,358 head.
The Central Visayas flock was 607.37 thousand head, followed by Western Visayas and Central Luzon with 482.18 thousand and 437.30 thousand, respectively.
“These three regions accounted for 38.6% of total goat population as of March 31,” the statistics agency said.
The average farmgate price of goat for slaughter during the period was P214.80 per kilogram, liveweight, up 17.4% from a year earlier.
“In the first quarter of 2023, the highest average farmgate price was observed in March at P231 per kilogram, liveweight, while the lowest average farmgate price was recorded in Feb. at P199.89 per kilogram, liveweight,” the PSA said. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera