Western Visayas hog output surges 40.1% in second quarter

ILOILO CITY — Hog production in Western Visayas surged 40.1% in the second quarter of 2026, while chicken output rose 12.5%, even as most other livestock and poultry commodities posted declines, preliminary data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed.

The stronger hog and chicken output coincided with lower farmgate prices for most commodities, particularly hogs for slaughter, whose average price fell by more than a fifth from a year earlier. The figures suggest improved supply conditions during the quarter, although shrinking inventories in several animal categories could affect how sustainable those gains will be in succeeding periods.

The PSA Regional Statistical Services Office VI reported that hog production increased to 17,424 metric tons from 12,440 metric tons in the same quarter of 2025. Carabao production, however, slipped 1.1% to 1,827 metric tons from 1,847 metric tons, while cattle output fell 9.8% to 2,782 metric tons from 3,083 metric tons, or 301 metric tons less than a year earlier. Livestock and Poultry Statistics in Western Visayas for Second Quarter of 2026.

Goat production also weakened, declining 10.7% to 643 metric tons from 719 metric tons in the second quarter of 2025.

The rise in hog production was reflected in slaughterhouse activity, where 118,276 hogs were slaughtered during the quarter, up 42.5% from 83,014 heads a year earlier. Goat slaughtering climbed 60.9% to 523 heads from 325, an increase of 198 heads, while carabao slaughtering rose 9.6% to 4,050 heads from 3,694.

Cattle moved in the opposite direction, with slaughterhouse volume falling 10.7% to 8,262 heads from 9,252, equivalent to 990 fewer animals.

Despite the stronger hog output, livestock inventories were generally lower as of July 1, 2026. The regional carabao population declined 8.8% to 117,788 heads from 129,223 a year earlier, while cattle inventory fell 7.0% to 136,090 from 146,375.

The swine population slipped 0.9% to 258,309 heads from 260,776, while goat inventory recorded the steepest decline among the four livestock groups, falling 11.5% to 135,936 heads from 153,583.

Iloilo remained the region’s biggest holder of carabaos, accounting for 46.1% of the 117,788-head inventory, or 54,262 animals. Antique followed with 23.0%, Capiz with 15.1%, Aklan with 10.2%, and Guimaras with 5.7%.

For cattle, Antique held the largest share at 35.3%, followed by Iloilo at 31.2%, equivalent to 42,431 heads. Capiz accounted for 17.1%, Aklan for 10.5%, and Guimaras for 5.9%.

Antique also had the largest share of the region’s 258,309-head swine inventory at 33.9%, while Iloilo accounted for 29.8%, or 76,937 heads. Aklan held 19.3%, Capiz 11.4%, and Guimaras 5.6%.

Iloilo dominated the goat population with 43.0% of the regional total, equivalent to 58,430 of 135,936 heads. Capiz accounted for 21.9%, Antique for 18.0%, Guimaras for 8.9%, and Aklan for 8.2%.

Provincial production shares during the April-to-June quarter likewise showed Iloilo leading several commodities. It accounted for 37.8% of carabao production, followed by Antique at 24.1%, Capiz at 20.1%, Aklan at 15.6%, and Guimaras at 2.5%.

Antique led cattle production with a 33.4% share, narrowly ahead of Iloilo at 31.0%. Aklan contributed 16.2%, Capiz 12.3%, and Guimaras 7.1%.

Iloilo supplied 42.7% of regional hog production, while Antique and Aklan accounted for 21.4% and 21.2%, respectively. Capiz contributed 8.1% and Guimaras 6.6%.

The province also accounted for more than half of goat production at 51.3%, followed by Antique at 21.9%, Capiz at 17.9%, Aklan at 7.7%, and Guimaras at 1.2%.

Poultry performance was similarly mixed, with chicken production growing 12.5% to 27,715 metric tons from 24,626 metric tons a year earlier. Chicken egg production, however, fell 2.7% to 7,325 metric tons from 7,532 metric tons, a decrease of 207 metric tons. Livestock and Poultry Statistics in Western Visayas for Second Quarter of 2026.

Duck production declined 13.7% to 450 metric tons from 521 metric tons, while duck egg production dropped 19.0% to 465 metric tons from 574 metric tons.

Poultry dressing plants processed 11,006,098 chickens during the quarter, 767,345 more than the 10,238,753 birds recorded in the same period of 2025. The increase translated to growth of 7.5%.

Iloilo accounted for 56.4% of chicken production during the quarter, followed by Aklan at 25.7%, Capiz at 13.6%, Antique at 2.3%, and Guimaras at 2.0%.

For chicken eggs, Iloilo again led with a 47.5% share, while Capiz contributed 30.3%, Antique 10.4%, Aklan 7.5%, and Guimaras 4.4%.

Iloilo’s dominance was even more pronounced in duck production, where it accounted for 81.5% of the regional total. Aklan contributed 6.7%, Capiz 6.2%, Antique 3.6%, and Guimaras 1.9%.

For duck eggs, Iloilo supplied 56.2% of production, followed by Antique at 21.7%, Capiz at 14.0%, Aklan at 7.4%, and Guimaras at 0.8%.

Western Visayas had 12,139,229 chickens as of July 1, 2026, down 2.7% from 12,482,142 a year earlier. Iloilo accounted for 54.0% of the total chicken population, followed by Capiz at 20.1%, Aklan at 13.7%, Antique at 7.8%, and Guimaras at 4.4%.

The broiler inventory recorded the sharpest contraction among chicken categories, falling 29.2% to 2,268,606 birds from 3,203,387. Capiz held 36.4% of broilers, Iloilo 33.9%, Aklan 29.4%, and Antique and Guimaras 0.1% each.

Layer chicken inventory declined 2.1% to 1,073,780 birds from 1,097,203. Iloilo accounted for 40.8%, Capiz 29.3%, Antique 16.8%, Aklan 8.3%, and Guimaras 4.8%.

Native or improved chicken inventory, by contrast, rose 7.3% to 8,636,812 birds from 8,049,960. Iloilo held 61.0% of the total, followed by Capiz at 14.7%, Aklan at 10.3%, Antique at 8.6%, and Guimaras at 5.5%.

Gamefowl recorded the strongest inventory growth among chicken types, increasing 21.6% to 160,031 birds from 131,592. Iloilo accounted for 43.8%, Antique 21.6%, Capiz 18.8%, Aklan 13.3%, and Guimaras 2.5%.

The regional duck inventory, meanwhile, declined 9.7% to 594,334 birds from 658,427 a year earlier. Iloilo accounted for 35.3% of the total, Capiz 28.7%, Antique 19.3%, Aklan 14.0%, and Guimaras 2.7%.

Farmgate prices fell for nearly all livestock and poultry commodities tracked by the PSA, with hogs for slaughter posting the steepest decline. Their average price dropped 22.9% to PHP 163.86 per kilogram, liveweight, from PHP 212.63 a year earlier.

Duck eggs declined 10.6% to PHP 9.32 per piece from PHP 10.43, while goats for slaughter fell 7.0% to PHP 238.56 per kilogram from PHP 256.61.

Layer chicken eggs were priced at an average of PHP 7.73 per piece, down 5.8% from PHP 8.20, while cattle for slaughter fell 5.5% to PHP 145.27 per kilogram from PHP 153.69.

Duck prices declined 3.6% to PHP 236.98 per kilogram from PHP 245.86, while broiler chicken slipped 1.3% to PHP 148.73 from PHP 150.69 per kilogram.

Carabao for slaughter was the lone commodity to post a farmgate price increase, rising 1.1% to PHP 136.43 per kilogram from PHP 134.90.

The combination of higher hog and chicken production and lower farmgate prices may help improve supply availability, but it does not automatically translate into equivalent reductions in retail prices because consumer prices also reflect processing, transportation, trading margins, and other costs along the supply chain.

At the same time, lower livestock and poultry inventories in several categories point to potential supply constraints if restocking and breeding fail to keep pace with slaughter and production, particularly amid risks from animal disease, feed costs, and farm profitability.

The PSA defines volume of production as the number of tended or raised animals disposed for slaughter or dressing, including animals shipped out for those purposes, expressed in heads or birds and in liveweight equivalent.

Animal inventory refers to the actual number of animals present on farms on a specific reference date regardless of ownership, while farmgate prices are the prices farmers receive for livestock and poultry sold at the farm and are weighted according to corresponding production volumes.