Cattle production in Ilocos Region decreased by 13.1 percent

The total cattle production in IIocos Region recorded 4,744 metric tons liveweight in first quarter 2024. This is 13.1 percent lower than the 5,457 metric tons output of the same period in 2023.

Ilocos Region contributed 8.8 percent to the national production of 54,058 metric tons liveweight in first quarter 2024, ranking 4th among the regions in the country in terms of cattle production.

Pangasinan has the highest production of 2,011 metric tons liveweight in first quarter 2024. This is 42.4 percent of the region’s cattle production. Ilocos Norte followed with 1,537 metric tons liveweight, contributing 32.4 percent in the production of the region. Meanwhile, Ilocos Sur and La Union posted production of 714 metric tons (15.0 percent) and 484 metric tons (10.2 percent), respectively.
 

Cattle population in Ilocos Region increases

The total headcount of cattle in Ilocos Region as of 01 January 2024 was 280,438 heads. It showed an increase of 11.0 percent compared to the inventory of 252,587 heads as of 01 Jan 2023. Likewise, cattle inventory as of 01 April 2024 registered an increase of 11.7 percent over the 2023 levels of the same reference date (Table 2).

About 93.4 percent of cattle population in the region as of 01 January 2024 comprised of smallhold farms while the 6.3 percent and 0.3 percent came from semi-commercial farms and commercial farms, respectively.

Increases in cattle population as of 01 January 2024 were noted in Pangasinan and La Union by 39.8 and 1.8 percent, respectively, compared to the same reference date in 2023. On the other hand, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte posted decreases in inventory as of 01 January 2024 by 2.9 and 0.6 percent, respectively.

As of 01 April 2024, the province of Pangasinan and La Union increased by 41.6 percent, and 2.1 percent, respectively, in terms of the number of cattle headcounts compared to the same reference date in 2023.

Farmgate Price

The average farm    price    of cattle for    slaughter in    backyard    farms in first quarter    2024    was PhP235.96    per    kilo liveweight. This was lower    by    3.9 percent    than    the    average    price of PhP245.63 per kilo liveweight in first quarter 2023.

The highest price recorded in    the    first    quarter    2024 was PhP240.79 per kilo in February.

SGD. ATTY. SHEILA O. DE GUZMAN
Regional Director, RSSO I