The total carabao production from April to June 2021 was estimated at 34.93 thousand metric tons, liveweight. This was 26.2 percent higher than the previous year’s same quarter output of 27.67 thousand metric tons, liveweight.

Among the 16 regions, Western Visayas was the top producer of carabao during the quarter with a production of 4.44 thousand metric tons, liveweight. This was followed by Davao Region with 3.61 thousand metric tons, liveweight and Eastern Visayas with 2.92 thousand metric tons, liveweight. These three regions shared 31.4 percent to the country’s total carabao production.

Relative to their levels in the same quarter of 2020, 12 regions posted increases in production during the quarter. Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) recorded the highest annual increase of 153.1 percent, from 0.18 thousand metric tons, liveweight in the second quarter of 2020 to 0.46 thousand metric tons, liveweight in the same quarter of 2021. (Figure 1)

As of 01 July 2021, the total carabao inventory in the country was registered at 2.85 million heads. This was -1.8 percent lower than the previous year’s same period stocks of 2.90 million heads. Carabao population in both backyard farms and commercial farms contracted by -1.7 percent and -7.1 percent, respectively. Of the total carabao population, 99.7 percent were raised in backyard farms while the remaining 0.3 percent were from commercial farms. (Figure 2)

In terms of inventory, Bicol Region recorded the highest carabao population with 323.80 thousand heads. This was followed by Western Visayas with 289.29 thousand heads and Central Luzon with 234.99 thousand heads. These three regions accounted for 29.9 percent of the country’s total carabao population.

The average farmgate price of carabao for slaughter during the quarter was PhP 125.37 per kilogram, liveweight. This was 15.5 percent higher than the previous year’s same quarter average farmgate price of PhP 108.57 per kilogram, liveweight.

During the period, the highest farmgate price was noted in June at PhP 127.80 per kilogram, liveweight, while the lowest was quoted in April at PhP 123.38 per kilogram, liveweight. (Figure 4)

DENNIS S. MAPA, Ph.D.
Undersecretary
National Statistician and Civil Registrar General

TECHNICAL NOTES

This Carabao Situation Report presents the carabao industry in terms of volume of production, inventory, and average farmgate price. The report is prepared to serve as a ready reference for Philippine Statistics Authority’s various clients and stakeholders in the agriculture sector. It is released quarterly, that is, every February, May, August, and November.

Concepts and Definitions

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

Inventory refers to the actual number of carabao present in the farm as of a specific reference date.  For this report, the inventory of carabao is as of 01 July 2021 since the surveys for this commodity are conducted semi-annually, i.e., January and July.

Farmgate price refers to the price received by raisers for their produce at the location of farm. Thus, the marketing costs, such as the transport and other marketing costs (if any) incurred in selling the produce, are not included in the farmgate prices. The 2019 to 2021 farmgate prices included in this special release were based on the revised method of computation by the Price Statistics Division.