The July to September 2021 total carabao production at 30.39 thousand metric tons, liveweight was 9.5 percent higher than the previous year’s same period output of 27.74 thousand metric tons, liveweight.

Among the 16 regions, Western Visayas was the top producer of carabao during the period with a production of 4.59 thousand metric tons, liveweight. This was followed by Northern Mindanao and BARMM with productions of 2.80 thousand metric tons, liveweight and 2.68 thousand metric tons, liveweight, respectively. These regions accounted for 33.1 percent of the country’s total carabao production.

Relative to their levels in the same period of 2020, 11 regions posted increments in production during the quarter. BARMM recorded the highest annual growth of 73.2 percent, from 1.55 thousand metric tons, liveweight in the third period of the previous year to 2.68 thousand metric tons, liveweight this period of 2021. (Figure 1)

In backyard farms, the country’s carabao inventory as of 01 October 2021 was registered at 2.84 million heads. About 29.6 percent of the country’s carabao population were recorded in Bicol Region, Western Visayas, and Central Luzon. (Figure 2)

The average farmgate price of carabao for slaughter in backyard farms for July to September 2021 was quoted at PhP 125.58 per kilogram, liveweight. It increased by 14.3 percent compared with the previous year’s same period average farmgate price of PhP 109.83 per kilogram, liveweight.

During the period, the highest farmgate price was noted in September at PhP 126.97 per kilogram, liveweight, while the lowest was quoted in July at PhP 123.25 per kilogram, liveweight. (Figure 3)

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 data is as of 01 October 2021 covering backyard farms only. This is the result of the redesigned Backyard Livestock and Poultry Survey on which data collection is being conducted quarterly. Meanwhile, the Commercial Livestock and Poultry Survey is still conducted biannual, 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.