Meat processors hike local sourcing of raw materials

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Association of Meat Processors Inc. (PAMPI) will procure more of its meat requirements locally following the seven to 10 percent increase in the cost of carabeef imports.

PAMPI executive director Francisco J. Buencamino said with the increase in the cost of imported carabeef, local meat processors have scaled down their carabeef imports by the same rate.

Most local meat processors use carabeef from India for such products as corned beef.

Local meat processors are now looking at increasing their procurement of local meats and lessen their dependence on imported meats, he stressed.

Buencamino said PAMPI is willing to work with the local hog and beef sector to train them to produce manufacturing-grade cuts of meat that the meat processing industry needs.

Buencamino recently attended the 17th Hog Convention at the World Trade Center specifically to convey PAMPI’s desire to work with the hog sector.

“We are willing to work with them to produce manufacturing – grade cuts. We will tell them how to butcher pork to the specifications that we can use for processing,” he said.

The PAMPI official admitted that the meat processing sector is currently experiencing slow demand for processed and canned meat products.

Buencamino said this could be partly attributed to the seasonal demand due to the Lenten season just passed.

However, Buencamino said demand is likely to pick up with the start of the school season.

At the same time, Buencamino said there is a lot of excess production which the sector is currently stockpiling.

Thus, prices of processed meats would remain stable for the time being, he noted.