Total cattle production from October to December 2022 was estimated at 69.61 thousand metric tons, liveweight. This indicates an annual decline of -0.4 percent relative to its same quarter of the previous year’s output of 69.91 thousand metric tons, liveweight.

The top five regions with the highest volume of cattle production at liveweight during the quarter were the following:
a. CALABARZON, 10.24 thousand metric tons;
b. Northern Mindanao, 7.89 thousand metric tons;
c. Central Visayas, 6.52 thousand metric tons;
d. Ilocos Region, 6.47 thousand metric tons; and
e. Western Visayas, 5.12 thousand metric tons.

These regions accounted for 52.1 percent share to the country’s total cattle production.

In comparison to their output in the same quarter of 2021, nine regions exhibited  decrements  in  production  during  the quarter. In terms of level,

Central Luzon posted the highest decline of 0.88 thousand metric tons, from 4.91 thousand metric tons in the same quarter of the previous year to 4.03 thousand metric tons this fourth quarter of 2022.

As of 31 December 2022, the total cattle inventory reached 2.58 million heads. This was 0.8 percent higher than the previous year’s same period count of 2.56 million heads. Increases in cattle inventory were noted in all farm classification, with semi-commercial farms recording the highest annual increase of 1.6 percent relative to its same period of the previous year’s count of 367,863 heads. As of 31 December 2022, the share of semi-commercial farms to the total cattle inventory increased to 14.5 percent, while the share of smallhold farms decreased to 82.0 percent.The share of commercial farms to the total inventory of cattle remained at 3.5 percent. (Figure 2)

Central Visayas recorded the highest cattle population of 341.15 thousand heads. This was followed by Ilocos Region and CALABARZON with corresponding inventories of 252.60 thousand heads and 247.88 thousand heads. These regions shared 32.6 percent to the country’s total cattle population.

The average farmgate price of cattle for slaughter was quoted at PhP 162.13 per kilogram, liveweight this quarter. This was 9.6 percent higher than the previous year’s same quarter average farmgate price of PhP 147.94 per kilogram, liveweight. (Figure 4)

During the reference quarter, the highest farmgate price was observed in November 2022 at PhP 169.70 per kilogram, liveweight, while the lowest was recorded in December 2022 at PhP 152.69 per kilogram, liveweight.

DIVINA GRACIA L. DEL PRADO, Ph.D.
(Assistant National Statistician)
Officer-in-Charge, Deputy National
Sectoral Statistics Office