MANILA: The province of Negros Occidental has imported almost 4.3 million pieces of eggs from local sources as of October this year, and the volume is expected to increase as demand for eggs significantly increases during Yuletide season.
Based on the Summary of Domestic Movement of Animal Product of the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO), the province has already imported a total of 4,263,985 pieces of eggs in the first 10 months of the year.
Records showed that it has imported 1, 626, 480 pieces of table egg; 1, 429,690 pieces of hatching egg; 1, 196, 600 pieces of balut; 11, 200 pieces of quail egg; and 15 pieces of duck egg.
These eggs are imported from Iloilo, Roxas, and Manila, where the biggest bulk comes especially in terms of hatching eggs and balut.
Table eggs are basically for human consumption while hatching eggs are being utilized by companies and hatchery integrators in the province.
Provincial Veterinarian Renante Decena said the province ever since is really deficit in terms of eggs supply although the level of consumption varies every month.
Decena said the current average egg production capacity of the province is 500, 000 pieces per day.
This is still insufficient to meet the demand even if the per capita consumption of the province is only 20 million eggs, based on the average eight pieces average consumption per person year.
“On top of the 2.5 million population of Negros Occidental, movement of tourists and visitors to the province increases the demand plus the huge food sector industry requirement especially of pastry makers which require high egg supply,” Decena added.
PVO records further showed that the increasing trend of egg importation starts in June, during class opening thus, consumption is high during that month.
With the most celebrated holidays happening in December, the egg importation of the province is expected to increase this month – more than October’s 800,800 pieces.
Decena said the PVO through its Livestock Production Division is working on increasing the province’s egg production efficiency and growth.
Like other basic commodities, egg should production should be more than the extraction, he noted.
“If the province extracts or moves out five percent of the population, the production should be 17 percent,” Decena added.
