The total inventory of livestock animals in the province of Batangas for the 4th quarter of 2024 is shown in Figure 1. A total of 1,029,588 heads as of 01 October 2024. Swine had the highest inventory with 767,884 heads, which is a 16.72 percent decrease in the same period of 2023. This is because of high mortality & depopulation due to the ASF outbreak. Both backyard & commercial farmers are now more hesitant to increase their stocks due to the ASF scare. The inventory of goats is 109,411 heads, a decrease of 7.87 percent compared to last year in the same period because of higher demand from local buyers. Cattle registered 106,971 heads, which is a 5.46 percent decrease compared to last year because of lower beginning inventory due to increasing demand from hotels, restaurants, and industries. Cattle raisers are encouraged to dispose of their stocks early due to increased demand for beef in areas heavily affected by ASF due to lack of pork. The inventory for Carabao posted 45,322 heads or a 0.83 percent increase compared to last year's same period because of more caracows that gave birth this quarter.

Other animals being monitored are horses and rabbits.

The total inventory of poultry in the province of Batangas is 22,925,218 birds as of 01 October 2024. Batangas is one of the major producers of eggs in CALABARZON. Layer chicken posted the highest inventory with 13,474,249 birds, or 58.77 percent out of the total poultry inventory. About a 4.76 percent increase compared to last year due to the availability of day-old layers. Layer raisers were encouraged to raise more due to sustained demand for chicken eggs within and outside the province. Raisers are building up stocks in preparation for the holiday season.

The inventory of broiler chickens is 7,359,054 birds, or a 32.10 percent share in the overall inventory of poultry. It posted an increase of 177.54 percent compared to last year for the same period because raisers were encouraged to increase their stocks brought by increasing demand within and outside the province as chicken meat is used as a pork substitute brought by the ASF outbreak.

The native/improved chicken had an inventory of 639,285 birds or a 2.79 percent share in the total inventory of poultry. Compared last year of the same period, it posted a decrease of 1.11 percent because of increased disposal brought by more demand from ASF affected municipalities.

Other poultry commodities being monitored are goose, turkey, and quail.

The slaughtered/dressed data were from the administrative report from the Locally Registered Meat Establishments (LRMES) and National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS). The total animals slaughtered in slaughterhouses in the province of Batangas in the 4th quarter of 2024 is 90,598 heads. There is a decrease of 12.9 percent, or 13,363 heads compared to last year. Carabao posted the highest percentage decrease with 51.1 percent, or 680 heads less, this quarter. On the other hand, swine showed a decrease of 14.2 percent, or 13,908 heads less than last year in the same quarter, because of the incidence of African Swine Fever (ASF) in the province.

The total slaughtered goat posted the highest increase of 102.3 percent, or 1,641 heads, this quarter due to more demand from local buyers. The total slaughtered cattle were 4,357 heads in the 4th quarter of 2024 compared to 3,962 Deads in the same quarter of 2023. This yields a difference of 395 heads or a 10.0 percent increase.

The total dressed from dressing plants in the province for the 4th quarter of 2024 is 16,112,776 birds. This yields a difference of 1,737,796 birds or a 12.1 percent increase because of higher demand from local buyers/traders and consumers. Since it's also used as a pork substitute due to the incidence of ASF in the province.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The Performance Report of Livestock and Poultry presents the performance situation in terms of inventory of carabao, cattle, goat, swine, and by type of chicken and volume of slaughtered/ dressed in the slaughterhouses and poultry dressing plants in the province of Batangas. Moreover, data for this special release were collected by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) through the two (2) major surveys namely:

a) The Backyard Livestock and Poultry Survey (BLPS) which is done quarterly an b) The Commercial Livestock and Poultry Survey (CLPS), data collection for swine farms, layer and broiler chicken farms is done quarterly while the semester conduct covers cattle, goat and duck commercial farms.

Another administrative survey that supplements the data requirements of the livestock and poultry sector is the Compilation of Data from Slaughterhouses and Poultry Dressing Plants (CDSPDP). This is done monthly and utilized administrative data from Locally Registered Meat Establishments (LRMEs) in the province which is in coordination with the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO)

Animal Population (also Animal Inventory) - the actual number of animals (in head/bird) present in the establishment as of a specific reference date regardless of ownership.

Breeder - an animal raised to improve or maintain the bloodline of the present stock.

Contract Growing - the partnership of the animal-raising business owner and a company where their main goal is to raise animals until they reach a certain market size.

Draft Animals - hauling, etc. animals raised for work purposes such as plowing, harrowing,

Farmgate price - the price received by raisers for their produce at the location of establishment. Thus, marketing costs such as transport and other marketing cost (if any) incurred in selling the produce are not included in the farmgate prices.

Fowl - a term used to refer to a specific group of avian sharing common anatomical characteristics, e.g., chicken, duck, quail, and turkey.

Grand Parent Stock - a product between the crosses of two pure breeds that produced the parent stock.

Great Grand Parent Stock (GGP) - animals, both pure breed of origin, used to produce grandparent.

Grow-out (operational definition) - for the purpose of the survey, this is defined as the growing/raising/tending of birds from chicks to disposal. This includes independent growers and contract growers.

Household - A person or group of persons who sleep under the same dwelling unit and usually have a common arrangement in the preparation and consumption of food. The household members may not necessarily be related by ties of kinship, although they are usually relatives. In some instances, more than one household may occupy the same dwelling unit.

Household head - An adult member of the household, male or female who is responsible for the organization and care of the household, or who is regarded as such by the members of the household.

Livestock - farm animals kept or raised for consumption and work. For purposes of survey, livestock covers only those that are tended/raised by an establishment.

Other Animals - refers to commodities that are not yet included in the L&P statistics released by the PSA. This includes sheep, horse, rabbit, quail, turkey, and other animals that are not specified in the questionnaire.

Poultry - a collective term for all domesticated avian for the purpose of food consumption or, the carcass of such avian are processed for human consumption.

Egg Laying Efficiency Ratio - ratio of the number of layers that have actually laid eggs to total laying flock.

Parent Stock - the parents of commercial strains of animals possessing all the qualities of a good stock which include being fast-growing, with good feed conversion rate, being resistant to disease, being meaty, and being adapted to the environmental conditions. Parent stocks are the end stocks of breeders.

Purpose - the main reason for the animals being kept. This is usually straightforward on L&P establishments; as specific breeds of animal are used for certain purposes. The specific purposes recorded will depend on the type of livestock and poultry and local conditions. For this survey, the purpose includes breeding, fattening, dairying, grow-out, and egg production.

Operator - a person who takes the technical and administrative responsibility of managing the day-to-day farm operation. He/she is responsible for making the decisions of the operation, including the management and supervision of hired labor. The operator may work alone or with members of his/her household or may employ others to work.

Volume of Production (operational definition) - the number of tended/raised animals disposed for slaughter/dressing including animals shipped-out for slaughter/dressing (in "head/bird" and in "liveweight equivalent").